[Klaus Grawe's confession and the psychoanalytic profession]

1994 saw the publication of the volume Psychotherapie im Wandel. Von der Konfession zur Profession ("Psychotherapy in Transition. From Confession to Profession") by K. Grawe et al. This book did much to fuel the professional policy debate on the purpose and efficiency of long-term and high-frequency analytic psychotherapies. The author examines Grawe's book, comparing its methodological approach with other (largely US-American) studies on psychotherapeutic research, and concludes that the studies analysed by Grawe do not do justice to the realities of psychoanalytic therapy. He advocates more naturalist designs reflecting the change from controlled therapies in institutions to clinical treatment in private practices. Finally he criticises psychoanalysts for having failed to provide evaluation of long-term and high-frequency analysis.