This session explores the intersection of therapy and social issues, examining how psychotherapy contributes to shifting moral perspectives, cultural engagement, and public health. Panelists highlight themes such as moral relativity versus absolutism, the therapist’s role in addressing systemic injustices, and the risks of reducing depression to biology alone. Participants gain a broader understanding of how therapy influences social change and how therapists can bring their skills to communities, families, and cultural contexts beyond individual treatment.
Cloe Madanes highlights the value of prioritizing relationships over individual pathology in family therapy. She critiques the influence of Big Pharma and managed care, warning against overmedication and noting that antidepressants show only a 10% improvement over placebos. Case examples include a suicidal man who regained joy and a young woman with epilepsy who improved through family therapy. Dr. Thomas Szasz adds a libertarian perspective, arguing that mental illness can become a self-fulfilling prophecy shaped by economic and political forces.
Moderated by Bernhard Trenkle, Dipl. Psych.
