Psychotherapy

A lively guide to the early days of therapeutic conversation, this work opens with a broad sweep of how physicians once harnessed suggestion, reassurance and simple mental tricks to ease both real and imagined ailments. Drawing from lecture notes delivered at Fordham, the author paints vivid portraits of patients who “worry themselves sick,” and shows how a skilful word could sometimes trump the limited science of the time. The historical survey moves from ancient humoral ideas to the turn‑of‑the‑century rise of “psychotherapy” as a staple of general practice.

The second half shifts to practical illustrations, from chronic hay‑fever to nervous cardiac complaints, explaining how doctors were taught to inform, divert and cheer patients toward recovery. Readers hear anecdotes of bedside humor, gentle persuasion, and the personal bond that once defined the physician’s role. The text invites modern listeners to reconsider the lost art of empathetic, mind‑focused care in an age increasingly dominated by impersonal technology.