International Perspectives on Psychotherapy

Abstract

Despite the early call for intervention and prevention of human suffering, train- ing in clinical psychology primarily focused on psychological assessments during the first half of the twentieth century. The emphasis shifted more toward interven- tion after World War II, when there was a greater need for clinicians. However, psychoanalysis dominated the field of psychotherapy during those early years. Furthermore, early editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual were firmly rooted in psychoanalytic concepts with little to no empirical support. This changed with the publication of the DSM-III (APA, 1980) and especially the DSM-III-R (APA, 1987) when psychoanalysis began to lose its dominance on the psychiatric classification system. Moreover, behavior therapy became more prominent with work by Skinner (1969), Wolpe (1958), and many others demonstrating the clear efficacy of applying theory-based behavioral principles toward modifying maladap- tive behaviors. The focus on empirical evidence for treating mental disorders was further strengthened with the integration of cognitive ideas into what has become known as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT; Beck, 1970)