Dear All,
A couple of thoughts on the idea that psychotherapy works because of,
or is flawed by (or both) hermeneutic circles.
The point is, I feel, that psychological therapies do work for many
people. It may be that it has to be the 'right' therapy for that person
to be involved in, or, the right circle for the person to step into,
and it may be here that skill is necessary; to select the therapy that
will be useful for a particular person.
Where the danger occurs, I think, is the obvious subjectivity of such a
system, and the opportunity for exploitation of vulnerable people, by
convincing them that you can offer a solution to their problems,
charging them for it and then creating a dependence, whereby they have
to come back to you to make them feel good again; the therapist is
analogous to a drug (might this be the case with the American 'Analyst'
profession?).
This is where 'quacks' come in, and financial profit is of course a
prime motivator for most. We do of course have a system is this country
that attempts to limit direct financial gain from ill-health - the
National Health Service. Nick.
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