John S. March writes in the Jan/Feb., 2009 issue of the the journal, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines:
"Driven largely by scientific advances in molecular, cellular and systems neuroscience, psychotherapy in the future will focus less on personal narratives and more on the developing brain. In place of disorders as intervention targets, modularized psychosocial treatment components derived from current cognitive-behavior therapies will target corresponding central nervous system (CNS) information processes and their functional behavioral consequences. Either preventive or rehabilitative, the goal of psychotherapy will be to promote development along typical developmental trajectories. In place of guilds, psychotherapy will be organized professionally much as physical therapy is organized today. As with other forms of increasingly personalized health care, internet-based delivery of psychotherapy will become commonplace. Conclusion:
Informed by the new field of translational developmental neuroscience, psychotherapy in the future will take aim at the developing brain in a service delivery model that closely resembles the place and role of psychosocial interventions in the rest of medicine. Getting there will be, as they say, interesting."
I believe that John S. March has got it wrong. I don't think that human behavior and functioning can simply be reduced to "molecular, cellular, and systems neuroscience". Human beings are meaning making animals and there will always be a place for psychotherapy to help human beings make sense out of their experience and constructively assist in the facilitation of their spirits and joy in living.
It would be nice if there was a pill or a physical silver bullet that could fix all of humanity's ills, but alas I think John March has taken empiricism a bit too far. I am interested in other opinions and ideas. Please leave them in comments on the blog.
To read the whole abstract of John March's article, click here.
I agree with you completely. It is ridiculous to reduce human behavior and psychological health to such a narrow perspective. I believe that psychotherapy is moving in the complete opposite direction actually, more intertwined with spirituality and mindfulness based ideas and work. More and more people are recognizing mental illness and emotional difficulties as a disease of the spirit, so to speak. Let me add that I am not trying to oversimplify or completely negate other theories or approaches, but this is based on what I see in my work with people.
ReplyDeleteHi Illusivejoy:
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment.
I agree with you that it's not an either/or kind of thing, but rather a both/and.
The world is big enough for both neuroscience and the humanities.
All the best,
David Markham