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Pre-Therapy International Network

Petition concerning the revision of the diagnostic manual DSM-4

The diagnostic manual

DSM-4 is used in psychiatry world-wide. It is currently being revised and the planned revision, DSM-5, will rely, even more than DSM-4, on incomplete, biology-based models of reality, upgrading partial operationalizations of the biological complexities to 'truths'.

Modern encompassing biological textbooks (e.g. György Buzsáki, Rhythms of the Brain, Oxford University Press, 2006) acknowledge the continuous reciprocal influence between brains and environment, at all levels of reality. DSM 5 should not omit this central aspect.

The American Psychological Association, division 32, has therefore written a letter of protest to the board of editors of DSM-5 and circulated a petition for anyone interested to co-sign the letter.

Most people with an interest in pre-therapy will probably agree with the letter, and wish to co-sign it. The link to the petition can therefore be found below.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/dsm5/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=button

The diagnostic manual DSM-4 is used in psychiatry world-wide. It is currently being revised

New course in Person-Centred Work at the Difficult Edge

This new course is being offered in the UK at the Metanoia Institute and includes a workshop on Pre-Therapy by Network member Dion Van Werde.

residential psychiatric milieu treatment with elderly

Person-centered work and Pre-Therapy contact work in residential psychiatric milieu treatment with elderly

Garry Prouty Obituary

Dr. Garry Prouty Dear members of ISPS, dear members of the World Association for Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapy and Counseling, dear members of the Pre-Therapy

International Network, dear colleagues and friends, I wished we had better news to tell you. I'm sad to inform you that on May 17th 2009, dr. Garry Prouty passed away.

Inspired by one of Garry’s great examples, namely dr. Martin Luther King, the last question of an interview we once did, was 'Garry, do you have a dream?'. Since Garry's response was so congruent and came from so deep, I vividly remember that this was an emotional moment for Garry as well for the people listening. Garry told us that he would like to see society take up the care for the people who suffer from mental illness. He wanted society to provide the people the care one needs, since much of the suffering, as he said, is avoidable and unnecessary, is tragic. This thought showed to be Garry's drive to dedicate his life and soul to his work. I have always remembered his saying - and must say that I, and many people with me, am still impressed by the way he lived up to his dream.

Pre-Therapy

Een vlinder Pre-Therapy is a Client-Centered treatment to prepare psychotic persons, often with mental retardation or organic impairments, for regular psychotherapy.

Elements of Pre-Therapy have also been applied to other populations; for example persons with a pervasive developmental disorder, or dementia.

Psychological contact

Afbeelding van een open volwassen hand met daarin een hand van een kind Psychological contact is the psychological function of interaction with persons but also with objects, feelings, etc.

Prouty has proposed three domains of psychological contact: reality, affect, and communication. In parallel, he has differentiated between three contact functions: Reality contact is awareness of people, places, things, and events. Affective contact is awareness of distinct moods, feelings and emotions. Communicative contact is the symbolization of reality contact and affective contact to others.