A Philosophical Framework for Psychotherapy Integration by Peri Herzovich, Yael; Govrin, Aner;

Short description:

In this thought-provoking work Yael Peri Herzovich and Aner Govrin challenge the long-standing rivalry between psychoanalysis and other psychotherapeutic approaches, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy. They address a fundamental question: How can we facilitate genuine dialogue between these dominant psychotherapy schools?

Long description:

In this thought‑provoking work, Yael Peri Herzovich and Aner Govrin challenge the long‑standing rivalry between psychoanalysis and other psychotherapeutic approaches, particularly cognitive‑behavioral therapy. They address a fundamental question: How can we facilitate genuine dialogue between these dominant psychotherapy schools?

Drawing on philosophical concepts such as Derrida’s notion of hospitality, Hegel’s dialectics, and Gadamer’s dialogical approach, the authors provide a new philosophical framework for encountering the “other” in psychotherapy integration. This book examines the barriers to integration and explores how hospitality, dialectics, and dialogue processes can facilitate openness between schools while preserving their unique identities. Through engaging historical analysis and practical demonstrations, the authors show how opposing approaches can enrich each other, leading to more effective treatment possibilities. Offering a fresh perspective on the potential for integration and mutual influence between these two major psychotherapy schools, while honouring the unique contributions of each school, this book is essential reading for psychotherapists, psychoanalysts, psychologists, and students of mental health.

'The authors recruit postmodernism, dialectics, and hermeneutics to answer these pressing questions: (How) can therapists from different schools engage in genuine exchanges enabling better understanding of both other approaches and themselves? They invite trainees and experts, purists and integrationists, to reflect on the obstacles to hospitable cross-theoretical dialogue, the fruits such dialogues have already yielded, and the promise they hold to advance the psychotherapeutic endeavor and ultimately benefit our patients - the real hosts in whose lives we are merely guests.'

Eshkol Rafaeli, PhD, DCT, Psychology Dept., Bar-Ilan University, Israel; CBT and schema therapy trainer and supervisor

'Inspired by a unique workshop that brought together distinguished scholars espousing different primary theoretical orientations, the authors expertly integrate decades of theory, research, and clinical wisdom to provide captivating and practical roadmaps to meaningful dialogue and rapprochement. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in psychotherapy integration, including its skeptics.'

James F. Boswell, PhD, University at Albany, State University of New York, USA; Past-President, NASPR

'Psychotherapy integration has emerged as a prominent and enduring theme in the development of psychotherapy systems. Within this context, Yael and Aner introduce a conceptually innovative and intellectually rigorous framework for rethinking integration. Notably, they pose a critical—yet frequently overlooked—question: why do some psychotherapists remain resistant to integrative approaches? In addition to their theoretical contributions, the authors offer concrete, practice-oriented strategies aimed at facilitating integration while maintaining respect for foundational theoretical differences. For scholars and practitioners alike, regardless of their stance on integration, this volume constitutes a significant and thought-provoking contribution to the field.'

Jacques P. Barber, PhD, ABPP, Professor Emeritus and former Dean, Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology, Adelphi University, and Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Graduate Group of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania

Table of Contents:

Introduction: When Therapists Cross Theoretical Borders  1. Integration: Psychoanalysis and the Fear of Otherness  2. Psychoanalysis and CBT: From Rivalry to Hospitality in Psychotherapy Integration  3. Dialectical Integration - The Case of Psychoanalysis and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy  4. Psychoanalysis and Interdisciplinarity with Non-Analytic Psychotherapeutic Approaches through the Prism of Dialectics  5. Fusion of Horizons in Psychotherapy Integration: A Dialogue Between Psychoanalysis and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy  Concluding Remarks