 We often imagine psychotherapy as a distinctly modern invention, a product of 20th-century science emerging from the clinics of Vienna and the laboratories of academic psychology. This is a misconception. The truth is far more rich and interesting: psychotherapy is deeply rooted in classical philosophy, not just in its historical lineage but in its conceptual foundations, goals, and methods. This essay explores some of those foundations, but also reflects on how psychotherapy often falls short, with the implication that the therapy of the future may look different, by reaching more deeply into its roots.
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