A Century of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Group Analysis

Ronald Sandison

In a very Jungian way, the writing is episodic and discursive and the whole is embellished with dreams. Most readers will find something of interest: I was drawn to the story of his time as a psychiatrist at Powick Hospital in the 1950s and the development of the unit treating patients with combined LSD and psychotherapy. Others may relish his many examples of group work in action or the tantalizing glimpses of Louis Zinkin as his analyst in the 1980s.'

- Journal of Analytical Psychology

This compelling book argues for the integration of medical and psychoanalytic models of the workings of the mind, and applies an integrated approach to general psychiatric practice and psychotherapy.

Ronald Sandison looks at the seminal ideas of key figures such as Freud, Jung and Foulkes and shows how they have transformed the way people perceive themselves and society. He draws on his experience of over fifty years' of psychiatric practice, which include twenty years' work in the former mental hospitals. He interweaves and enriches his account with personal experiences and with his dreams. This biographical material extends his concept of searching for and finding a unifying principle, not only for psychiatry, but also for himself.

Sandison challenges the exclusive use of the medical model in psychiatry,arguing that psychoanalysis and its derivatives are the most effective treatments in psychiatry, as they take into account the inner life of the client. He shows how the prescription of clinical drugs to alleviate mental symptoms can present a barrier to the therapeutic relationship.

This book brings together the key ideas in psychotherapy in the last century: it gives an essential overview that will enable practitioners and theoreticians to gain a deeper understanding of their own work and its significance within the development of this significant field.