ABSTRACT
The practice of psychotherapy is very much affected by findings having to do with the debate over nature versus nurture. This chapter describes the debate over the influence of nature versus nurture. It organizes around one of what now are many radical views that suggest that genetics is what ultimately matters in human development. Although therapists tend to argue among themselves about differences in clinical theories and about practical issues in treatment, they have agreed about one thing: The family matters. Mental health clinicians sometimes ignore research from the biological sciences. The challenge is to keep in focus that all human behavior derives from a confluence of factors. These factors include ones that are biological, cultural/social, and psychological. This biopsychosocial model challenges all of us to look outside the 'silos' and learn more about scientific fields in which one were not originally trained.
