Socialization and Emancipation in Politics – with reference to Psychotherapy

Authors

  • Peter Schulthess

Abstract

Summary: The author, in his role as psychotherapist and former member of the Cantonal Council, describes the meaning of socialization with the goal of emancipation and the development of autonomy in politics. In this regard he shows how ambivalent political practice is. He also links his submissions to the meaning of the emancipatory aspects of psychotherapy and puts forward the thesis that psychotherapy cannot be separated from politics. If psychotherapy changes people and works in an emancipatory way, then it has a political impact. He calls upon psychotherapists to be aware of the political meaning of their work and to be ideologically critical of their therapy concepts and to constantly question unknown political inclusions emerging from the spirit of our times. Therapists’ insights from the consulting room should be made public in an appropriate form, and this should not just be in professional journals.

Keywords: Psychotherapy, Politics, Emancipation, Human rights

Author Biography

Peter Schulthess

lic. phil. Peter Schulthess ist eidgenössisch anerkannter Psychotherapeut und arbeitet seit 1976 in eigener Praxis in Zürich. Er ist Past President der EAGT. Als Vorsitzender der Schweizer Charta für Psychotherapie ist er Vorstandsmitglied der ASP. In der EAGT ist er Mitglied des Committee for Human Rights and Social Responsibility. Er war von 2003 bis 2011 für die sozialdemokratische Partei im Kantonsrat Zürich tätig. Er hat verschiedene Beiträge zum Verhältnis von Psychotherapie und Politik veröffentlicht. Ein weiteres Aktivitätsfeld ist die Psychotherapieforschung: Er koordiniert die Charta-Praxisstudie ambulante Psychotherapie Schweiz (PAP-S) und ist Vorsitzender des Wissenschafts- und Forschungskomitees der EAP (European Association for Psychotherapy).

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Published

2015-12-30

How to Cite

Schulthess, P. (2015). Socialization and Emancipation in Politics – with reference to Psychotherapy. Psychotherapie-Wissenschaft, 5(2), 154–161. Retrieved from https://psychotherapie-wissenschaft.info/article/view/287

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 2 (2015): Kongress-Dokumentation

Section

Special Issue

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