The Abyss of Madness and Human Understanding

Abstract

Two pairs of authors—Pienkos and Sass (2012) and Josselson and Mattila (2012)—have commented upon my article, "Psychotherapy as a Human Science: Clinical Case Studies Exploring the Abyss of Madness." In the article I present a number of case studies that illustrate a phenomenologically, humanistically, and existentially and psychodynamically informed approach to severe psychological disturbances, including both so-called schizophrenia and so-called bipolar disorder. I appreciate the common sympathy that both sets of commentators have with the concept of psychotherapy as a human science. The commentaries also help to raise a number of issues around the concepts of "phenomenological contextualism," "radical otherness" in so-called schizophrenia, the conflict between phenomenological and medical disorder language in describing severe disturbance, and challenges to a psychotherapist working with severely disturbed individuals.