Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Psychotherapy as a moral enterprise

  • Articles
  • Published:
Pastoral Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This article addresses the phenomenon of psychotherapy as a moral enterprise by discussing the notion of morality as it relates to the therapeutic task, enumerating ways in which the practices of psychotherapy can confuse a moral sense of things and by offering suggestions as to how psychotherapy can be undertaken as a moral enterprise.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beier, E. G. & Valens, E. G. (1975).People reading. New York: Stein and Day.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berne, E. (1964).Games people play. New York: Grove Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Browning, D. S. (1976).The moral context of pastoral care. Philadelphia: Westminster Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Browning, D. S. (1983).Religious ethics and pastoral care. Philadelphia: Fortress Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Browning, D. S. (1986).Religious thought and modern psychology. Philadelphia: Fortress Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Budman, S. H. (Ed.) (1981).Forms of brief therapy. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, D. T. (1975). On the conflicts between biological and social evolution and between psychology and moral tradition.American Psychologist, 31, 1103–1126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erickson, R. C. (1987). The psychology of self-esteem: Promise or peril?Pastoral Psychology, 35 163–171.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erickson, R. C. (in press) Compassion without illusion.Journal of Religion and Health.

  • Glasser, W. (1965).Reality therapy. New York: Harper and Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hogan, R. (1974). Theoretical egocentrism and the problem of compliance.American Psychologist, 30 533–540.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lasch, C. (1979).The culture of narcissism. New York: W.W. Norton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Menninger, K. (1973).Whatever became of sin? New York: Hawthorn Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mosak, H. H. (1979). Adlerian psychotherapy. In R.J. Corsini (Ed.),Current psychotherapies (pp. 44–94). Itasca, Illinois: F.E. Peacock.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mowrer, O. H. (1961).The crisis in psychiatry and religion. New York: Van Norstrand.

    Google Scholar 

  • Szasz, T. (1974).The myth of mental illness. New York: Harper and Row.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Brockton V.A. Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Presbytery of Southern New England, USA

    Richard C. Erickson Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Richard C. Erickson Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Erickson, R.C. Psychotherapy as a moral enterprise. Pastoral Psychol 38, 25–33 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01040944

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01040944

Keywords

Search

Navigation