The Clinical Impact of the Psychotherapist's View of Human Nature

As psychotherapists, we rarely examine the implicit or explicit notions about human nature that are built into our theories and treatment approaches. Aside from the controversial question of whether a scientific conception of human nature is now tenable or not, our unexamined views (including our unrecognized biases) hold powerful sway in our clinical activities as well as in our theoretical discourse. As a consequence, our unexamined views of human nature may adversely affect our conduct of psychotherapy. Comparing Freud's view of human nature with that of Kohut, we can recognize their respective impact on the treatment process and its outcome.