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First published on October 24, 2007
Journal of Humanistic Psychology 2007, doi:10.1177/0022167807307901
© 2007 SAGE Publications

Article

The Medical Model in Psychotherapy: Its Limitations and Failures

David N. Elkins*

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: davidnelkins{at}hotmail.com.


  Abstract
This article discusses the limitations and failures of the medical model in psychotherapy. Specifically, the article shows that (a) the medical model does not accurately describe what actually occurs in psychotherapy; (b) the model continues to dominate the field not because of its accuracy but because of its questionable ties with medicine, science, and the health insurance industry; (c) the model obscures the fact that psychotherapy is an interpersonal process, not a medical procedure; and (d) the model fails to account for the fact that the vast majority of clients use psychotherapy for support, guidance, and personal growth instead of treatment for mental illness. Implications of this analysis are presented.
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