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New York
TV Journalists Shocked by Newman’s Postmodernism
In November 2007, Fred Newman was the featured guest on a one-hour
special edition of NY1’s “Inside City Hall.” The
broadcast was a one-of-a-kind encounter between postmodern and
traditional psychology which focused on Newman’s controversiality.
In October/November 2005 NY1 produced a six-part series called
Psychopolitics: Inside the Independence Party of Fred Newman.
The show aired on “Inside City Hall” the week prior
to the New York mayoral election and many saw it as part of an
effort to undermine support for the Independence Party and the
re-election of Mayor Michael Bloomberg. In that context, important
therapeutic issues were raised in an irresponsible and sensationalized
manner.
One of the most important principles of social therapeutic practice
is also the most controversial. Social therapy does not treat
people in emotional pain as especially vulnerable and by doing
so restrict their human capacity to create their lives. Because
of the centrality of this position to the success of our work,
Newman has been eager to find and create forums to discuss this
with other professionals and the general public. Indeed there
is currently a lively dialogue among psychotherapists on the
related issues of boundaries and dual relationships.
To this end, Newman requested that Time Warner provide another,
more responsible, opportunity to discuss these issues on NY1.
Dr. Kenneth Gergen, the Mustin Professor of Psychology at Swarthmore
College, also advocated with Time Warner that it present such
a dialogue. This program finally took place in November 2007.
Ken Gergen joined Newman as a guest on the show. As you will
see, Gergen is deeply committed to constructive dialogue, and
met fierce resistance from the NY1 team.
Also included on the program was Dr. Cathleen Mann, a frequent
critic of social therapy and Newman’s attorney Harry Kresky.
The hosts were Dominic Carter and Rita Nissan.
The discussion – often heated – hit on such topics
as ethics and boundaries in the therapist/patient relationship;
what are appropriate criteria for sexual intimacy between consenting
adults; whether therapy patients should be related to as vulnerable
and unable to make life choices or as change agents with the
capacity to create their lives; laws governing the practice of
psychotherapy; and whether therapy patients should be asked to
give up their constitutional right to act as members of a free
society in order to be in therapy. There was also some brief
discussion of Newman’s political involvements, including
his role in electing Mayor Mike Bloomberg.
To view this program please click
here. |
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