Ethical Dimensions of Therapeutic Practice

Authors

  • Günther Pöltner

Abstract

The therapeutic relationship is both the patient's and the therapist's responsibility. It is the patient's responsibility to accept help and to choose the right therapist. The ethical requirements for the therapist comprise, on the one hand, his or her commitment to the psychotherapeutic ethos (informing the patient about the therapeutic treatment; ability of self-criticism regarding the patient's consent or refusal of the treatment, but also the influence of the therapist's own values and norms on the psychotherapeutic practice, as well as his or her alignment to the patient between closeness and distance; no abuse of the patient; considering therapeutic effects on the patient's relationships outside the therapeutic practice relation and on third parties) . and, on the other hand, the therapist's concern about therapeutic knowledge and - given the fact that any therapeutic act is guided by anthropological background knowledge - the therapist's appreciation of an anthropology that is adequate to the human mode being.

Key words:
Therapeutic relationship; Patient's responsibility; Choice of the therapist; Psychotherapeutic ethos; Relation between ethics and anthropology.

Author Biography

Günther Pöltner

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Günther Pöltner, abgeschlossenes Klavierstudium an der Akademie für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Wien, Philosophiestudium in Wien und Freiburg, Professor für Philosophie an der Universität Wien, stv. Vorstand des Instituts für Ethik und Recht in der Medizin an der Universität Wien.Veröffentlichungen u.a.: Zu einer Phänomenologie des Fragens; Schönheit.Eine Untersuchung zum Ursprung des Denkens bei Thomas von Aquin; Evolutionäre Vernunft; Nietzsche und die Musik (Mit-Hrsg.); Phänomenologie der Kunst (Hrsg.); Grundkurs Medizin-Ethik; Aufsätze zu medizinethischen Themen.

Korrespondenz: Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Günther Pöltner, Pötzleinsdorfer Straße 99, 1180 Wien

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Published

2003-10-01

How to Cite

Pöltner, G. (2003). Ethical Dimensions of Therapeutic Practice. Psychotherapie-Wissenschaft, 11(4), 165–172. Retrieved from https://psychotherapie-wissenschaft.info/article/view/414

Issue

No. 4 (2003): Psychotherapie Forum 11/4 (veröffentlicht bei Springer Wien New York)

Section

Special Issue

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