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Monday, December 26, 2005
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Via Butterflies and Wheels ...comes a reminder that France too has made a few stabs at regulating psychotherapists (see UD's post below, titled "Ed Husserl, Phenomenologist," about New York Magazine's report on pending new regulations for therapists in New York). Again, I'll link more intelligently when I'm back in Garrett Park, but for the moment it's worth noting that the French haven't been able to accomplish what New York has -- a modicum of control over a mass of questionable activities... Ophelia Benson's interest (shared by UD) in charlatanism draws her to the ongoing story in America and abroad of tussles among the brain doctors... and between brain doctors and insurance companies / subsidizing governments. UD's interest extends to the curricular and institutional implications of these pressures. What becomes of psych departments when fewer and fewer people and agencies will pay for their several groundless approaches? Will reputable universities review the magical-thinking elements of their psych curricula and drop them? And when will intelligent design advocates and the like figure out that they can make a case for inclusion of their approach in higher education based upon its having equivalent empirical value to much of the established psych curriculum? ************** Instant Update: Today's New York Times (Science Times section, front page) reports on a recent "landmark meeting" on "the state of psychotherapy, its current challenges and its future." Headlined "Psychotherapy Field Is on the Road to... Where?", the article expresses the bafflement most observers feel when they survey professional psychotherapy. For their convocation, the assembled therapists chose Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams, impersonated by Robin Williams in a film. The reporter describes his opening remarks: Adams displayed on a giant projection screen photos from around the world of burned children, starving children, diseased children, some lying in their own filth. He called for a 'last stand of loving care' to prevail over the misery in the world, its wars, and 'our fascistic government.' Overcome by his own message, Dr. Adams eventually fell to the floor of the stage in tears. |