The Death of Psychotherapy: From Freud to Alien Abductions [Hardcover]

Donald A. Eisner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 30, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0275964132 | ISBN-13: 978-0275964139

Psychologist-attorney Eisner puts psychotherapy on trial by critically examining its effectiveness through the lens of the scientific method. From psychoanalysis to cognitive-behavior therapy as well as the 500 or so other psychotherapies, there is not a single experimental study that supports the effectiveness of psychotherapy over a placebo or religious healing. Using both case examples and clinical research, this book challenges the conclusion that there is empirical support for the notion that psychotherapy is effective.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Death of Psychotherapy skillfully presents a badly needed message: much of therapy lacks scientific backing. In tackling the sad lack of experimental confirmation of clinical findings, Eisner is sure to become a force for change."-Elizabeth Loftus, Ph.D. Past-President, American Psychological Society

About the Author

DONALD A. EISNER is a licensed psychologist and a practicing attorney in Encino, California.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: Praeger (January 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0275964132
• ISBN-13: 978-0275964139
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,170,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Separating therapy from snake oil, July 21, 2000

By 

Paul Chance (Seaford, DE USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Death of Psychotherapy: From Freud to Alien Abductions (Hardcover)

There are something like 500 varieties of psychotherapy. One thing most of them have in common is a lack of scientific evidence to support their effectiveness. Yet people spend hundreds of hours of their time recalling their childhoods, describing their dreams, reliving miserable experiences, all without any reason to think it will help. And they pay dearly for it. Eisner takes a hard look at a great many of these therapies and concludes, "There are no empirically supportable therapies."

He overstates his case. There ARE some therapies that have been demonstrated to be highly effective: Behavior therapy and behavior modification have proven their usefulness in the treatment of severe behavior disorders, such as autism and mental retardation, in dealing with disruptive students, in treating phobias, anxiety disorders, compulsions, and a variety of other problems. Non-directive psychotherapy has also been shown to have some value for people with personal problems who need support. Cognitive Behavior Therapy is another that is supported by research (although there is some evidence that the effective part of the therapy may be the behavior therapy). So, there are SOME forms of therapy that have evidence to support their effectiveness.

But Eisner's overall point is valid: Most therapies are spun from someone's imagination and have little or no empirical support. Most therapists can't hand you a stack of articles from scientific journals showing the effectiveness of the therapy they offer, and if you ask them to do so they will either show you case studies and anecdotes or they will dismiss your question as proof of your neurosis.

This book is therefore important to anyone who is in or contemplating therapy. For the price of one therapy session (more or less), they can read about the kind of therapy they are receiving or contemplating and be better equipped to decide for themselves whether it is therapy or snake oil.