ABSTRACT
The psychotherapeutic function is a relatively recent one for clinical psychologists, but one whose importance developed rapidly during the past twenty years. During the past decade, in particular, psychotherapy was the most popular and time-consuming activity of clinical psychologists. Psychotherapy usually takes place because an individual has some problem or difficulty in adjustment that causes him discomfort or is upsetting to those with whom he lives. The person who experiences only the minor difficulties unavoidable in life and resolves these problems satisfactorily is not likely to seek psychotherapy. The circumstances under which psychotherapy is initiated varies with the type of problem and the specific environmental setting. While it is apparent that many professional groups with diverse types of training and orientation engage in some form of psychotherapeutic activity, there still exist many problems concerning what constitutes psychotherapy, who may engage in psychotherapy, what is adequate preparation for psychotherapy, and the desirable or necessary personal prerequisites of the psychotherapist.
