Schizophrenia, the self and psychotherapy: Is there really anything new under the sun?

This issue of In Session in The Journal of Clinical Psychology offers in depth case studies of psychotherapy for persons with differing types of schizophrenia spectrum disorders across international settings.

To understand the context and import of this work, this commentary explores commonalities of this work with past work including respect for patients' autonomy, compassion, and attention to the therapeutic relationship. The commentary then discusses themes which harken to the past including framing psychosis as something than can be understood jointly by therapist and patient rather than being unilaterally imposed.

It is suggested that this work is emblematic of new movements in the literature which focus on the person who is experiencing schizophrenia.

This focus extends to understanding the purposes, place of the person in the world and their possibilities, which enables them to make sense of what they need and how want to manage their own recovery.