Publisher's Synopsis
Nowadays, psychotherapy is usually understood as a part of medicine. In the past, however, mental health care was not interpreted in terms of medical treatment alone. Philosophers and priests, as well as all those who assumed responsibility in their respective communities, also cared for the salvation of the soul of those entrusted to their care. Despite all the new treatment possibilities and concepts that enormously enrich todays psychotherapy, this limited understanding also leads to an impoverishment, not only in theory but also in practice. Thomas Nölle attempts to place psychotherapy in a larger context than just the medical model, expanding its understanding against its socio-cultural history and current background. According to him, it is best understood as a social practice.
