A Critical History of Psychotherapy, Volume 2: From the Mid-20th to the 21st Century

If you’ve ever wondered why psychotherapy today looks like a sprawling buffet of methods—some talking cure, some brain science, some spiritual mumbo jumbo—this book is your backstage pass. Renato Foschi and Marco Innamorati don’t just chart a timeline; they unpack the social and cultural forces that shaped psychotherapy’s wild ride from the 1950s through now.

Starting in the post-war era, psychotherapy was stuck in what the authors call a “middle earth” phase. Traditional Freudian and Jungian models were still dominant but creaking under the weight of new ideas and societal shifts. The 1950s, they argue, were a kind of liminal space—therapy was established but restless, setting the stage for disruption.

Enter the 1960s and 70s, decades that shook up everything. Social revolutions, civil rights, anti-establishment moods, and a craving for authenticity spilled over into therapy rooms. This is when humanistic psychology and existential approaches gained traction, pushing back against the cold, clinical vibe of earlier schools. Therapy became more about personal meaning and less about diagnosing pathology. Foschi and Innamorati show how these movements weren’t just academic trends but responses to a world in upheaval.

The 80s and 90s brought their own drama: a tug-of-war between individualism and social awareness. Therapy started to fragment and hybridize. The authors highlight how integrative and eclectic models emerged—not because someone waved a magic wand, but because therapists and patients alike were tired of one-size-fits-all solutions. This period also saw the rise of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and a stronger push for evidence-based practices, reflecting the broader cultural obsession with science and measurable results.

What’s refreshing here is the way Foschi and Innamorati don’t treat these developments as isolated or purely intellectual. They root psychotherapy firmly in its historical and political context. For example, the backlash against psychoanalysis isn’t just a scientific debate; it’s tied to changing views on authority, power, and individual rights. The book also nods to the influence of global events, from Cold War anxieties to neoliberal economic policies, on therapeutic priorities.

Of course, this isn’t a feel-good story about progress. The authors don’t shy away from pointing out the field’s blind spots. The focus is heavily Western-centric, which means non-Western therapies and perspectives get short shrift. Plus, the book’s broad sweep sometimes sacrifices depth for scope, glossing over some figures and movements that deserve more attention. And as with any historical account, Foschi and Innamorati’s own interpretations color the narrative—sometimes you’ll want a second opinion.

Still, for anyone serious about understanding why therapy looks the way it does today, this volume is a goldmine. It’s dense but readable, packed with historical data, case studies, and sharp analysis. It’s especially useful for clinicians and students who want to see beyond the surface of therapeutic techniques and understand the cultural currents that shaped them.

In short, this is not a cheerleading manual for psychotherapy but a clear-eyed, critical history that respects the field’s complexity. Whether you’re a skeptic or an enthusiast, you’ll come away with a richer, more nuanced picture of how psychotherapy wrestled with—and was shaped by—the world around it.