ABSTRACT
In the world of psychodynamic psychotherapy, there are many different schools of practice, and among these schools are competing theories and values, each with their passionate disciples, from all of them, two theories can be distilled that concern what it is that cures a patient of his psychological illness. Stuart was in his mid-40s arid, although a man of many talents, had never persevered sufficiently with any of them to have capitalized on his undoubted capabilities. He was therefore only moderately successful, with a foot in several camps. Erich Fromm defined a mature person as one who is the subject of his own powers and therefore emancipated from bondage to things and persons. While this bondage persists, the person is immature or, to use Fairbairn's term, in a state of infantile dependence. Permanent structural change in the personality occurs only when the patient himself initiates action.
