Psychotherapy in times of disruption

Or: The expulsion of psychotherapy from paradise?

Abstract

The world, and the field of psychotherapy, are facing a rapidly developing complexity of disruption. The Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have shaken the world to its core. Politicians now talk of a historical turning point that will play a pivotal role for many years to come. The field of psychotherapy has been confronted with radical disruption over the years. These experiences often lead to disillusionment. The experience (and processing) of disruption appears in the therapy room like an imagined stranger who, without seeking permission, develops an existence of his own. Whether it be issues related to health insurance companies, the war in Ukraine, the psychotherapist law, the pandemic, etc., the field of psychotherapy would do well to open itself up to these societal developments. Psychotherapy would thereby concretely and paradigmatically re-position itself in the interaction between transference and real relationships. This would grant the field of psychotherapy a new understanding of the fundamental humanistic values.