Behavior and cognitive therapies in France: an oral history

Interviews were conducted with French psychologists and psychiatrists among those responsible for the evolution of behavioral and cognitive therapies in France. Their views are combined with information gathered from the literature to trace the history of French behavioral and cognitive therapies from their 19th century clinical precursors, through the 20th century progression from Pavlovian research to current therapeutic trends. Cultural factors favorable and unfavorable to their dissemination are discussed, as are the strategies that have been adopted by the French Association of Behavior and Cognitive Therapy to enhance its public and professional image. Particular emphasis is given to the role of an institutional context dominated by psychoanalysis.