Is Therapy an Art or Science?

Question:

There is an ongoing debate about whether counseling/psychotherapy is an art or a science. Michael Mahoney wrote in 1991 "the person' of the therapist is at least eight times more influential than his or her theoretical orientation and/or use of specific therapeutic techniques”.  What does Mahoney’s conclusion mean to you?  What implications might it have for your development as a professional counselor? I think the debate of art vs. science in any field is really a debate about the convergence of creativity and fundamentals. When beginning to take on the task of learning any subject whether it be psychotherapy, cooking, or the guitar we usually start with the basics.

Answer: 

An aspiring chef’s first year in culinary school is spent making stocks and bases. When a child starts guitar lessons, they spend the majority of their time learning finger placement, scales, and rudimentary songs such as “Row, Row, Row, Your Boat”. If one were to listen to a Jimmy Hendrix album, you’d most certainly hear art; if not, god rest your soul. Conversely, if you listened to a ten-year-old stumble through “Row, Row, Row, Your Boat” on the guitar through their bedroom door for an hour you'd end up wanting to pull your hair out. 

I think when Mahoney wrote “the therapist is at least 8 times more influential than his or her... use of specific techniques” he’s talking about the therapist as a whole rather than the sum of his or her training and life experiences. That using therapeutic techniques isn't like using an equation to solve a math problem. That it’s better to use these fundamentals like a beam of light passing through a prism that is made up of your own experiences, strengths, and weakness that you can use to relate, connect, and tailor to each individual patient.



Location: Tempe, AZ 85282, USA

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