The various forms of psychotherapy depend on psychological methods to treat both physical and psychic suffering, and they rely exclusively on the patient’s relation to the therapist.
Throughout the twentieth century, several forms of psychotherapy were developed, which have enabled us to understand ourselves better, to act on a specific symptom, or on our relations with others. Each form of psychotherapy has its own history, goals and methods.
This book describes the various forms of psychotherapy in detail and asks the following questions: Is psychotherapy the best way to treat your own distress? How do you make the decision to begin psychotherapy? What can you expect from therapy? How can you choose among the various forms of therapy? What is the difference between psychoanalysis and psychotherapy? Should you opt for cognitive or behavioural psychotherapy?

In this collective work, the characteristics and advantages of the various forms of psychotherapy are explained by specialists and illustrated with examples drawn from their own experience.
The authors address a number of frequently asked questions: Who are psychotherapists? How should you go about choosing a therapist? How long should your therapy take? Should you take medication? Have the various forms of treatment been evaluated?
This is an invaluable book for anyone wishing to understand the different types of psychotherapy available.

The editors of this collective work are:
Daniel Widlöcher, a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and former head of Psychiatry at Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, in Paris. He is a member of the Association Psychanalytique de France and was formerly the President of the International Association of Psychoanalysis.
Alain Braconnier, a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst specialising in adolescents, is the director of the Centre Philippe Paumel, in Paris.