The Interface of Literature and Psychotherapy

AbstractThe connection between literature and psychotherapy has received wide critical attention in the past but the eclectic nature of their interdependence and the need for a psychotherapist to acquire literary skill has not been adequately established. This study establishes the need to include literature in the training of a psychotherapist by delving into an exploration of the multifarious influence of literature on psychotherapy and vice versa. This is in order to project the healing virtues of literary creativity and its significant impact on the psychological practices of the psychotherapist.Sociological approach is used to explore the relationship between the psychotherapist and his patient in this study. It provides a framework for the explanation of the operation of human mind and how literature and psychotherapy have handled its manifestations. An eclectic analysis is deployed to explore and establish the usefulness of literature to psychotherapy.This study is a comment on the humanity of psychotherapy as a bi-dimensional practice that must be unified in order to achieve effectiveness and efficiency. The interface of literature and psychotherapy projects a symbiotic interdependence. Literature aids the performance of psychotherapy in diverse ways and psychotherapy provides the creative artist with material and inspiration for the depiction of the state of mental health care. Psychotherapy professionals have moved from the status of quacks to heroes but the true test of their education in contemporary time as all times will be their ability to provide humane care. The literaiy intervention in psychotherapy cannot be relegated; it is the centrepiece for the measurement of the effectiveness of the profession.We have been able to explore the eclectic interdependence of literature and psychotherapy. A consciousness of the relevance of these two fields to each other will help future scholarly endeavour and psychiatric practices, whether formally or informally.Keywords: Psychotherapy, interface, Eclectic, SymbioticIntroductionMany psychotherapists are oblivious of the central role of literature in their profession. A critical evaluation of the connection between literature and psychotherapy will radically changed the perspective of practitioners who would have ordinarily subscribed to the belief that these two professions have no possible relation. A consciousness of the close affinity between the two fields will be tremendously impactful on the critical consciousness of practitioners. Fundamentally, literature mirrors life, and since the relationship between the patient and psychotherapist is a life occurrence, the influence of literature is inevitable. There is an undeniable symbiotic relationship between the two, as efficient literary skill is required of a therapist in his profession.Psychotherapy deals with the healing of the mental deficiencies in individuals or groups. Since it involves the interaction between a trained professional and the client(s), it is expedient that relationship is built and trust established before the therapist can have access to the inner factors influencing the condition of the patient. Literaiy expression triggers the outflow of repressed feelings and ideas which the patient might not be able to release in ordinary communication. It helps the psychotherapist to know how to approach individual cases and purge the mind of his client.This kind of interaction is a social relationship that needs to be properly channelled for the purpose of effectiveness of the therapy. A sociological study of therapist-patient interaction requires surgical literaiy examination so that the intrinsic implications of the actions and inactions of the two parties would be established. The interface of literature and psychotherapy is a point where bi-lateral and bi-dimensional unity is attained between two different fields. The unity of these fields is in diversity as they in operate multiple levels of dependence and interdependence. …