perception is of the procedure。 Do they consider it barbaric； without any possible redeeming
value？ If the answer to that question is “yes；” then you can play devil’s advocate by presenting
the following scenario。
Imagine that you are a doctor on staff in a mental hospital in the late 1940s。 Your mental hospital；
constructed to hold 700 patients； now has over 1；300。 Many of these are violent and need to be
tied to their beds or kept in locked cells。 Antipsychotic drugs will not be invented for another five
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to ten years。 Patients regularly attack one another； as well as the attendants。 Other patients run
through the hallways； screaming and yelling。 You have one patient who has been in the hospital
for 25 years and has essentially been kept in confinement。 You hold no hope of recovery。
However； you know that there is a therapeutic technique that will take only a half…hour； and if
successful； will result in a significant decrease in episodes of violent behavior in this patient。
Again； if the procedure is successful； the patient will appear to be much happier and more
content with life。 You also know that for most patients receiving this procedure there will be little
difference in measurable IQ。 You know of no behavioral test that routinely shows any mental
deficit from the procedure。 Would you； as this patient’s doctor； use this procedure？
When put into this context； most students begin to understand why prefrontal lobotomies were
used as frequently as they were in the 1940s and 1950s。 Most college students find it difficult to
imagine a world in which there were no drugs that could be effectively used in place of
procedures such as prefrontal lobotomy。 Visiting a mental hospital today； it is difficult for most
of us to imagine the general level of uproar and violence in the hospitals as recently as the 1940s。
The 1948 movie “Snake Pit；” starring Olivia DeHavilland； portrayed the horrors of life as a
patient （and staff member） in state mental hospitals during that “pre…chemotherapy” era。
Identifying Therapists
Ask students to pile a list of therapists in your area。 They should gather information about
the therapists’ professional degrees； fees； areas of specialization； forms of treatment； and other
factors。 You might divide them into groups and have each group attempt to locate therapists
from a particular theoretical orientation （i。e。； psychodynamic； etc。）。 They might call some
therapists for such information； consult a local mental health association； check the web pages of
professional organizations such as the APA； and consult phone book listings as ways of gathering
this information。
Should Psychologists Prescribe Medication？
Since your text contains an excellent review of psychopharmacology； you might want to discuss
the issue of whether counseling or clinical psychologists should be able to prescribe medication。
Some have argued that it is ludicrous to have family physicians and surgical specialists； who may
have no psychological training at all； able to prescribe the entire range of psychoactive drugs for
treating mental illnesses； while psychologists； who specialize in treating mental illnesses； cannot
prescribe any medications。 Although it is true that historically most psychologists did not have
the training in pharmacology that physicians were given； in recent years； many graduate
programs in psychology have added coursework in physiology and pharmacology to narrow this
gap。 While most would agree that psychologists probably should not be able to prescribe
nonpsychoactive medications； the wisdom of prohibiting them from prescribing any medications
seems doubtful。 Since psychologists are pressing for legislative changes in some states that would
allow psychologists to prescribe some medications in some circumstances； this issue is likely to
bee more important in the near future。 How do students feel about this issue？ Do they see
any potential dangers if psychologists begin prescribing medicine？
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PSYCHOLOGY AND LIFE
BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILES
Albert Ellis （b。 1913）
Obtaining his Ph。D。 from Columbia University in 1947； Albert Ellis made early contributions to
psychoanalytic theory； although he has since bee one of its major dissenters。 Rebelling
against what he perceived to be rigid psychoanalytic dogma； Ellis established Rational Emotive
Therapy or RET in 1955。 The development of RET is considered by many to represent the
informal founding of cognitive therapy； popular in many forms today。 Ellis has also influenced
the development of sex and marital therapy； and his book Sex Without Guilt is recognized as an
important cultural impetus to the American sexual revolution of the 1960s。
Frederick “Fritz” Perls （1893…1970）
Fritz Perls was born in Berlin； studied at the University of Freiburg； and obtained his Ph。D。 at the
University of Berlin。 In 1926； he became Kurt Goldstein’s assistant at the Institute for Brain…
Injured Soldiers； where he developed the notion of “gestalt；” or integrative wholes。 He then
studied psychoanalysis； being analyzed by such luminaries as Wilhelm Reich； Karen Horney； and
Otto Fenichel。 Perls left Germany in 1933； shortly after Hitler’s rise to power； spent the next
decade in Holland and； in 1946； came to the United States； where he established the New York
Institute for Gestalt Therapy。 Although accepting the importance of unconscious conflicts； Perls
believed it was necessary to deal with the present； rather than dwelling exclusively on the past。
The basic philosophy and practice of Gestalt therapy is described in his book Gestalt Therapy
Verbatim （1969）。
Joseph Wolpe （b。 1915）
Joseph Wolpe was born in South Africa。 He developed interests in chemistry as a teen； and
would channel this passion into medical school training； earning his M。D。 in 1948 at the
University of Witwatersand。 He worked as a lecturer in psychiatry for the next ten years。 After
being increasingly dissatisfied with Freudian psychoanalysis； Wolpe turned to the empirical
works of Ivan Pavlov； with which he had bee familiar as a medical student
During the late 1940s； influenced by the theories and research of Clark Hull； Wolpe conducted
experiments on “reciprocal inhibition；” in which cats were “cured” of experimentally induced
neuroses。 Based on these findings； Wolpe developed a therapeutic practice； resulting in the
publication of the classic book Psychotherapy by Reciprocal Inhibition （1958）。 In 1960； he came to the
United States； establishing himself as the foremost proponent of behavior therapy。
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SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READINGS
Bergin； A。； & Garfield； S。 （1994）。 Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change； 4th Ed。 New York：
John Wiley & Sons。 This handbook is a reference for students； researchers； and practitioners
on a variety of aspects of psychotherapy and behavior change。
Crowder； A。 （1995）。 Opening the Door： A Treatment Model for Therapy with Male Survivors of Sexual
Abuse。 New York： Brunner/Mazel Publishers。 Presents a model for treatment that is tailored
to the male victim—a much…needed addition to a field that has female…as…norm for its model。
Garfield； S。 L。； & Bergin； A。 E。 （1986）。 Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change。 New York：
Wiley。 A standard reference book on psychotherapy。 Covers the history and conceptual
foundations as well as current descriptions of various therapies。
Henggeler； S。 W。； & Borduin； C。 M。 （1990）。 Family Therapy and Beyond。 A Multisystemic Approach to
Treating the Behavior Problem of Children and Adults。 Pacific Grove； CA： Brooks/Cole。
Addresses a variety of significant issues relative to children and adolescents； to include
parent…child difficulties； difficult peer relations； delinquent behavior； and chemical
dependency。
Ivey； A。 E。 （1986）。 Developmental Therapy： Theory into Practice。 The Jossey…Bass Social and
Behavioral Science Series。 San Francisco： Jossey…Bass。 Drawing on the works of Piaget and
Erikson； Ivey offers examples of how the cognitive and developmental levels of the child are
taken into account when designing an appropriate treatment model。
Maxmen； J。 S。 & Ward； N。 G。 （1995）。 Essential Psychopathology and Its Treatment； 2nd Ed。 Revised
for DSM…IV。 Not only does this volume orient readers in terms of DSM…IV； it also provides
much needed information on childhood disorders and sleep disorders。
Minuchin； S。 （1974）。 Families and Family Therapy。 Cambridge； MA： Harvard University Press。
Although an older volume； this book provides an excellent introduction to systems theory； as
applied to the family therapy situation。 Provides transcripts of actual family therapy sessions；
with the author’s mentary on the processes。
Rogers； C。 R。 （1961）。 On Being a Person。 Boston： Houghton Mifflin。 Rogers’ perspective on the
potential of the human being for growth and creativity。
Shapiro； F。； & Forrest； M。 （1997）。 EMDR： The Breakthrough Therapy for Overing Anxiety； Stress；
and Trauma。 New York： Basic Books。 EMDR （Eye Movement Desensitization and
Reprocessing） is the innovative clinical treatment that has helped individuals who have
survived trauma…including sexual abuse； domestic violence； drive…by shooting； bat； and
crime。
Smith； M。 L。； Glass； G。 V。； & Miller； R。 L。 （1980）。 The Benefits of Psychotherapy。 Baltimore； MD：
Johns Hopkins University Press。 The authors argue that psychotherapy works； as indicated
by a meta…analysis of published studies。
Valenstein； E。 S。 （1986）。 Great and Desperate Cures： The Rise and Decline of Psychosurgery and Other
Radical Treatments for Mental Illness。 New York： Basic Books。 An interesting description of
various approaches to treating emotional problems。
Walker； L。 E。 A。 （1994）。 Abused Women and Survivor Therapy。 Washington； DC： American
Psychological Association。 A blend of theory； research； and practical application for the
therapist and attorney working with the abused woman。 Walker has provided an excellent
resource for those working with thi