{"id":5295,"date":"2017-06-02T23:08:17","date_gmt":"2017-06-02T22:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennethsorensen.dk\/?p=5295\/"},"modified":"2026-04-23T17:10:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T16:10:07","slug":"synthesis-in-psychotherapy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennethsorensen.dk\/en\/synthesis-in-psychotherapy\/","title":{"rendered":"Synthesis in Psychotherapy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Assagioli offers in this talk a clear overview of the different stages and elements in psychosynthesis psychotherapy<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
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By Roberto Assagioli MD<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Source: Psychosynthesis Research Foundation, Issue No. 24<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

(Address given at the Sixth International Congress of Psychotherapy, London, England, August 1964.)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Different types of psychotherapy<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

At present we observe many different methods in the field of psychotherapy, some apparently in contrast with each other. There is no need to enumerate<\/strong> them; they are well known. I shall only mention that they may be roughly divided into two groups or classes, representing two dissimilar conceptions and practices.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In a broad sense, the first might be called <\/span><\/span>existential psychotherapy<\/span><\/span><\/i> because it emphasizes the significance of the existential life problem, or problems, of the patient and aims at helping him first to discover and then to solve them. This group includes the various therapies based on depth psychology. Generally these therapies give much importance to the living relationship and interplay between therapist and patient (“encounter”).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The second group comprises a large number of specialized techniques, each of which aims at eliminating the patient’s symptoms or some specific problem.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Both these kinds of psychotherapy have their respective uses and limitations. The value of the existential approach is that it goes deep down to the core of the patient’s problem, which is connected with his whole personality. It takes into account his attitude towards life, and aims at correcting and changing it in a constructive way, mainly through the influence of the therapist himself. The limitation of this method is that it does not actively help the patient to apply his newly gained insight in the remaking or reshaping of his life and relationships with others in accordance with that insight. A patient may agree to the new outlook, but find it difficult or be unable to put it into operation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The opposite can be said of the specific techniques. They are valuable and effective in eliminating a number of symptoms, in enabling the patient to discover and use his own latent resources, but generally they don’t go deep enough. They don’t eliminate the real cause or origin of the symptoms, which are therefore apt to recur. We are referring to such techniques as suggestion and auto-suggestion, hypnosis, “autogenic training” in its more technical aspects, and other active training procedures.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Each group has its distinctive value and therefore they should be combined in an inclusive psychotherapy. However, this combination has to be made and applied in a different way in each case. Let us ever recognize and keep in mind that patients are of very diverse kinds and that the causes of their disturbances are correspondingly different.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Some cases might be called “Freudian,” because the origin of the disturbances corresponds to Freud’s interpretation; but many others do not fit into that pattern. Their problems, conflicts and ensuing troubles can be better understood in the light of the descriptions and interpretations given respectively by Adler, Jung, Homey, Frankl, etc.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n