Psychotherapy

Modern psychotherapy began with Sigmund Freud's Psychoanalysis in the late 1890's. Psychotherapists may use various techniques to during a session. Primarily these techniques are conversation based, and facilitate the client in exploring their problems with the aim of creating a happier, more positive life. Other techniques may include writing, artwork, drama, or music.

Various systems and schools of psychotherapy exist, including from Psychoanalysis, Cognitive Behavioural, Psychodynamic, Existential, Humanistic, and Transpersonal.

Many people suggest that Psychosynthesis is a form of psychotherapy (generally classified as being within the Humanistic and Transpersonal schools); however, Roberto Assagioli, the founder of Psychosynthesis stressed that Psychosynthesis is not psychotherapy. Psychosynthesis was developed by Assagioli to overcome the limitations that he believed existed in psychoanalysis. It has grown to become a comprehensive system of self-growth.

Assagioli wrote that Psychosynthesis functions within five main fields:

The therapeutic (psychotherapy; doctor-patient relations);
Personal integration and actualization (realization of one's own potentialities);
The educational (psychosynthesis by parents and by educators in school of all degrees);
The interpersonal (marriage, couples etc.);
The social (right social relations within groups and between groups).

So while Psychosynthesis has some commonality with various schools and approaches to psychotherapy it remains distinct, and the psychotherapeutic elements are only a part of the total system. Psychosynthesis may be used for psychotherapy, however it goes well beyond this, and the aim is to bring about a synthesis of all aspects of the personality, and allow the psychological functions to work harmoniously around a central core - the self, or 'I'.