ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with comments, solicited and unsolicited, made by laymen to applicants for psychotherapy. It analyzes unsolicited comments of professionals whose advice was sought for other matters. The chapter shows that the people who give advice about problems are generally not the same ones who make referrals to clinics. Social control of the applicant by others is an extremely important factor in bringing some persons to psychotherapy. Other social controlling conversations provide an applicant with entirely new information about his problems, showing him that they are psychiatric or emotional rather than something else. The degree of interest another has in either the applicant or in emotional problems in general is the second factor prompting him to initiate conversation. Members of the friends have a greater predisposition to engage in conversations about their own problems; so do the other members in their environment. Conversation about problems early in the decision affects later interactions.
