Persuasion And Healing Summary

Persuasion and Healing: A Comparative Study of Psychotherapy by Frank and Frank (1991) was a very insightful, basic, thorough exploration of psychotherapy. The authors highlighted the foundations of psychotherapy (i.e., religomagical, rhetorical, and empirical or naturalistic), its many types (e.g., psychoanalytic, cognitive), commonalities, and healing methods across a variety of cultures. Despite the book being outdated and containing aged resources, it still provided valuable insight in regards to psychotherapies and other healing methods (e.g., religious revivalism, magical healing). What was beneficial about the book, and as a result of why its age can be overlooked, is that the authors did not set out to prove anything. Instead, they

They emphasize the commonalities found in methods of healing, how all forms of psychotherapy are effective, how none of the theories or groups of healers are better than the others, and how they all have overlapping goals of aiding the demoralized (Frank & Frank, 1991). To be more specific, one limitation includes tunnel vision, meaning that the therapist does not see or utilize any methods or considerations outside of their orientation (Frank & Frank, 1991). According to Frank and Frank (1991), this may be attributed to the structure of some orientations and their research, which may present individuals with the obstacle of being unaware or misinterpreting information. Another constraint is that therapists may become so absorbed in their orientation that they become selective in terms of the type of client they treat (Frank & Frank, 1991). On the other hand, belonging to an orientation may foster better persuasion techniques within a therapist. Implying the healer may be able to form a better relationship with their clients, providing with the patient with a better sense of hope, confidence, being able to relate due to their own personal experiences with regard to method effectiveness, and also instilling the motivation and desire in the therapist to continue contributing to the field of psychology and healing (Frank & Frank,