Expertise in psychotherapy - the views of Bernie Neville

What is it about?

The debate about expertise in psychotherapy is ongoing. Bernie Neville was, like Carl Rogers, of the view that psychotherapy outcomes were largely determined by the quality of the therapeutic relationship than by specific methods or techniques.

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Why is it important?

Creativity was a hallmark of Bernie Neville's work in education; for example, he deployed the myths of the ancient Greek gods to encourage students and practitioners to critically analyze and imaginatively understand being in the world. In this article, I also point to how the gods informed his thinking in relation to humanistic-existential themes concerning the precariousness of existence, to evidence-based psychotherapy relationships, and to the ‘Master Therapist’ model whereby the quest for expertise in psychotherapy is typically a dynamic process beset with paradox and ambiguity.

Perspectives