The Human Elements of Psychotherapy: A Nonmedical Model of Emotional Healing

by David N. Elkins

This book presents a nonmedical model of psychotherapy--one that places common factors, particularly human factors, at the center and moves modalities and techniques to the periphery. In a concise volume, Elkins summarizes the supporting evidence from various fields, including clinical psychology, attachment theory, social relationships research, neuroscience, and evolutionary theory. All of these fields show that humans are evolved to develop, maintain, and restore our emotional well-being through human connection and social interaction. Thus, psychotherapy can best be understood as an expression of social healing. After presenting this model and its vast supporting evidence, Elkins then discusses important implications for clinical research, training, and practice. The book also features a foreword by Barry L. Duncan, author of On Becoming a Better Therapist.

Genres: Psychology, Mental Health

155 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[Heiki Eesmaa · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very basic book on the common vs specific factors debate. You'd do better to read Great Psychotherapy Debate instead, which I think is as approachable and more rigorous. I personally think pitting specific vs common against each other is a dead end and a losing solution, as emotionally satisfying as the clear conflict may be. The problems need to be framed in such a way that those responsible for funding services and research programs see the 'human elements' as something that can be put to use, measured, improved upon. There can still remain some uncertainty, but to say that empathy cannot be operationalized at all is a gross exaggeration as well as immediately removing a rationale to train clinicians with a focus on interpersonal skills.