Recent Developments in Individual Psychotherapy

individual psychotherapy, the pivotal modality of psychiatry, has undergone a constant revolution since the inception of psychoanalysis; over the years the treatment models have shifted from dynamic to behavioral to experiential. The author discusses forces, such as economic pressures to establish cost-effectiveness, that have precipitated these changes. After reviewing comparative studies of the efficacy of psychotherapy, he examines new developments in individual psychotherapy such as brief treatment and cognitive therapy for depressive disorders. The efficacy of combined techniques, the impact of diagnostic tools and training manuals, and ethical issues, such as sexism, are also explored.