Dr. Paul Wachtel has devoted much of his career to transcending the silos that divide different approaches to psychotherapy and different theoretical accounts of personality dynamics and development. He has written on the integration of psychodynamic theories and therapeutic practices with behavior therapy, family therapy, humanistic-experiential therapies, and third wave cognitive-behavioral therapy.
His integrative efforts also incorporate the powerful role of social and cultural influences, and his writing and research have included books on the psychological impact of materialism and preoccupation with economic growth and on the bidirectional dynamics of racial and ethnic tensions. He was a founder and past president of the Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration.
Education
- BA, Columbia,
- Ph.D. Yale, clinical psychology, psychoanalytic training
- NYU Postodoctoral Program in Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy
Courses
In recent years Dr. Wachtel’s teaching has centered on the theoretical foundations of integrative psychotherapy and on practicum courses that focus on psychotherapy practice from an integrative and relational point of view.
