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How much influence does the practice of psychotherapy truly exert on society today?

62% of Americans have never tried therapy.

15% of Americans are currently receiving psychotherapy.

This is Part 3 of a series.

Here is a secret: Not all psychotherapies (or psychotherapists) are created equal. In reality, there is no consistent generic process called "psychotherapy" but rather a somewhat motley and diverse collection of presumably psychotherapeutic approaches that frequently contradict each other and fundamentally disagree not only on what causes so-called "mental disorders" and how to best treat them but about the basic nature of the human condition, and therefore, the goals of therapy.

Is psychotherapy about simply suppressing or alleviating painful or problematical symptoms as quickly and painlessly as possible or is it a process of self-discovery, personal growth, finding meaning and purpose, and learning to consciously acknowledge, understand, accept, and live more harmoniously not only with one's own inner "demons" or "complexes" and with those of others but, more basically, with the bare and sometimes brutal existential and frequently inescapable facts of life: suffering, tragedy, aloneness, loss, sadness, anger, rage, anxiety, mortality, meaninglessness, and the perennial problem of evil? (See Diamond, 1996, 2026.) Or perhaps a bit of both?

Therapy can be brief (1-10 sessions) or longer (10-100 sessions) depending on the presenting problem or problems and the patient's own treatment goals. The important thing, in most cases, is for the patient to feel they no longer need therapy. So, are there "good" and "bad" therapies and therapists out there, as Mr. Alpert in Therapy Nation suggests? Of course. As is true of any profession, be it medicine, mechanics, accountants, contractors, or plumbers. But the real question here is on what basis competence or "goodness" and "badness" is being judged. The ultimate judge of therapy's efficacy is always the client or patient and whether they........

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