Psychotherapy, Chinese medicine and Eastern spiritual traditions
Item
Title
Psychotherapy, Chinese medicine and Eastern spiritual traditions
Description
EJOM (2019), Wells, Kim.
Abstract
The article is a wide-ranging exploration of the ways in which the worlds of Chinese medicine (CM) and psychotherapy intersect and diverge. It links the greater focus on emotional imbalance by CM practioners in the West compared to those in China- and the marginalised status of psycotherapy in the latter - to the different cultural contexts. It compares the roles and perspectives of Western practioners and psychotherapists and the ways in which they interpret and respond to emotional imbalance. It looks at the limits of their expertise and problems that might arise through straying outside their domain of competency. It explores differing views as to where to locate the site and cause illness - in the mind or body. It examines the importance both usually attach to a stong therapeutic relationship, seen as an integral part of the treatment process, and questions the tendency of the scientific establishment to devalue the therapeutic contribution of this relationship by dismissing it as part of the 'placebo effect'. Finally, it considers Alan Watt's view that there are parallels and crossovers between psychotherapy and Eastern 'ways of liberation' such as Daoism and Buddhism (on which much of CM is based).
Alternative Title
EJOM
Creator
Date
Date Created
10/1/2019
Language
English
Type
Journal Article
issn
1351-6647
issue
3
page end
38
page start
27
volume
9