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The Way of Imperfection
Author(s) -
Field Nathan
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
british journal of psychotherapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.442
H-Index - 17
eISSN - 1752-0118
pISSN - 0265-9883
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-0118.1992.tb01212.x
Subject(s) - perfection , psychology , correctness , psychotherapist , psychoanalysis , social psychology , cognitive psychology , epistemology , philosophy , computer science , algorithm
. It is entirely admirable that we should aim to become better psychotherapists. But where this becomes an obsession with the correctness of therapeutic technique it may prove counter‐productive. Too great a striving for perfection on the part of the psychotherapist does not help the patient; it only re‐enacts the compulsion to perfection from which the patient himself very likely suffers. Not only is it human to err: error itself, and the capacity to recover from it, can provide both therapist and patient with unique opportunities for insight and personal growth.