Psy Therapeutics, Biographical Narratives and Depressions. Users of Mental Health Services Criticisms to the Psy Field

Abstract

This article analyzes critical biographical accounts of experiences with professionals and therapies in the field of mental health for problems related to depression. In a context of expansion and diversification of the discourses and practices of the psy field, it investigates the perspectives and questions of users of psychotherapeutic services. The main questions that guide this analysis are: In biographical narratives, what are the criticisms made to therapeutic practices and those who exercise them? Is it possible to locate any relationship of affinity between particular types of criticism and style of psy therapy? These issues are addressed in this empirical work, carried out in the city of Santa Fe, Argentina. Forty-two biographical interviews are analyzed to investigate the repertoire of objections made to psy therapeutics by people involved in psychotherapeutic processes.

This article locates a set of narratives that question: the lack of empathy, the lack of provision of tools, the lack of credibility, the hierarchy in the relationship, and, finally, the illusion of recovery. Each of these types of criticism tends to acquire a greater presence in certain therapeutic practices. In these styles of objections, there are more singular criticisms —aimed at particular people who work as therapists— and more generalized ones —aimed at the foundations of therapies. This work aims to contribute to social studies in the psy field by producing empirical knowledge about the experiential critical knowledge of people involved in different psy therapies.