A Brief History of Psychiatry: Millennia Past and Present—Part III

Abstract

Release of emotion through a variety of means has often been seen as healing. Throughout the centuries many cultures dealt with stress by bringing relief through methods like dancing, ritual, or confession. The idea of discovering not always conscious emotions and their release through talking became important in 19th-century psychological treatments. The 20th century has seen a flowering of psychoanalytical, behavioral, cognitive behavioral, and many other psychotherapies. These have been used in individual, group, or martial/family settings, inpatient and outpatient. There have been disagreements between and among the various schools of psychotherapy. As we approach the next century, therapists of all schools are discussing ways in which each therapy contributes to helping patients and are defining common threads that link all the approaches to psychotherapy.