Relocating the Nexus of Psychopathology and Treatment: Thoughts on the Contribution of Erich Fromm to Contemporary Psychotherapy

Erich’s Fromm’s (1946, 1955, 1976) controversial critique of modern capitalism and its effects on psychic life is in many ways more relevant now than ever. By combining social, political, economic, and psychological determinants, Fromm’s theories provide mental health clinicians with a wider and more effective conceptualization of psychopathology than does the current medical model. While some of Erich Fromm’s basic assumptions are challenged in this paper, such as his view of human nature and the extent to which western society requires radical reorganization, Fromm’s work is seen as a useful catalyst for shifting the mental health field’s current paradigm of psychopathology to a more holistic and ecological perspective. Similarities between Fromm’s ideas and the therapeutic community model of G. DeLeon (2000) are noted, and a relevant individual case study is discussed.