The problem of multiplicity of psychotherapy models

Seven aspects of the problem of multiplicity of psychotherapy models are discussed: 1) the controversial role that psychotherapy research might have in discriminating among competing models and treatments; 2) possible reasons why different psychotherapy schools continue to exist; 3) the problem of specific versus aspecific (or common) therapeutic factors; 4) the issue of psychotherapy integration and eclecticism; 5) two proposals, suggested within the psychoanalytic movement but with paradigmatic value because they may be of interest for all psychotherapy schools, namely the proposals by Fred Pine of the "four psychologies" of psychoanalysis and by John Gedo of a hierarchical schema of five models of the mind and developmental levels linked to five therapeutic interventions; 6) the usefulness for the clinician of knowing different psychotherapy models, and also of rich and diversified life experiences, in order to better understand, "see" and "mirror" the patient’s experience; 7) a philosophical reflexion, based on the Italian philosopher Evandro Agazzi’s position, on the inevitable coexistence of multiple models, each with its own method, that investigate the patient as a scientific "object", i.e., from different points of view, so that there will be many "objects" while the patient remains the same "thing", whose truth will never be reached by definition because is unknowable and the process of knowledge is endless

Keywords: Multiplicity of psychotherapy models, psychotherapy integration, eclecticism in psychotherapy, Fred Pine, John Gedo, Evandro Agazzi

Sergio Erba, Clinica, teoria, metodo nella terapia e nella formazione in "RUOLO TERAPEUTICO (IL)" 124/2013, pp 57-60, DOI: 10.3280/RT2013-124007