The Role of Psychotherapy in Society 31 May 2013

Considering the expansion of state sponsored psychotherapy services in the UK, a recent article explores the political role of psychotherapy in society and examines some of the philosophical roots of the "talking cure."

As a liberal, I support the state’s provision of CBT for two reasons: first, it leaves open the question of the meaning of life, and second, it’s effective and people ask for it. (As an aside, I do think there should be a more diverse range of evidence-based therapy available.) It’s quite another matter for the state to impose a comprehensive theory of the good life on their citizens without their consent. I am wary of governments using pseudoscience to smuggle moral paternalism in through the back door. A society in which we are all quantified according to our adherence to Positive Psychology would be a regression into the Middle Ages.

(Image credit: Fox Valley Institute)

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