Therapy

Aptly known as the “talking cure,” therapy typically involves a client reflecting on their personal challenges and a provider guiding the conversation with feedback, questions, and non-verbal cues. How did this rare medical treatment of the early twentieth century evolve into a pervasive cultural trope and marketplace icon – and why? To answer these questions, this article offers three different histories of therapy: (1) an academic history of the schools of therapy, from psychoanalysis to positive psychology, (2) an economic history of the growth of therapy, from rare treatment to mainstream health-care, and (3) a cultural history of the diffusion of therapy, from health-care service to Hollywood movies, television serials, news programs, talk shows, reality TV, pop music, and everyday conversation.