This discussion examines therapist perspectives on therapeutic neutrality and social commitment. Mary Goulding highlights community resilience, while James Masterson supports neutrality with social awareness. Cloe Madanes advocates for directive therapy to protect the vulnerable, and Jean Houston calls for integrating personal and societal healing. The panel agrees that therapists must address social issues without compromising clinical integrity, acting as both healers and agents of change.
Moderated by Jon Carlson, PsyD, EdD
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.
