Where did the practice of lying on a couch in the psychiatrist’s office come from?
And is there any truth to this other practice we’ve seen on TV and in films: the patient is explaining his or her problem, possibly getting close to a breakthrough, and the psychiatrist cuts him or her in mid-sentence and says: “I’m sorry. Our time is up. We’ll resume our conversation at our next sesssion.”?
The couch thing: My WAG is it has something to do with Freud and his methodologies. (Doesn’t it always go back to Freud anyway?)
I doubt any psychologist/psychiatrist would be that rude to their clients. Also, depending on what the person’s getting treatment for and the type of treatment being used, a person might not spend their sessions just talking. If they’re getting some kind of behavioral therapy, for example, the psych person might take them out of the office for a RL situation to work on.
Today most popular therapy methods involve just sitting and communicating. Building “tools” that help ther person deal with problems which may have caused them to seek therapy in the first place. Some head shrinkers don’t even keep a couch in the office any longer.
As for being informed about time limits. Surprisingly enough it does happen often and is considered part of the boundaries that a therapist sets up with a patient. Some people really need to know that they have a professional relationship with the therapist. Despite what you may feel, your therapist is not your friend, he or she is a medical professional who is there to assist you and has to set certain limits. Of course the idea of someone in the midst of a major breakthrough being told to leave in a cold manner is unprofessional but asking someone to leave at the end of a session is quite normal. Many if not most psychologists and psychiatrists have a recovery room where one can collect one’s self after an emotional session.
zen101
D.F.A.
I wish I was still crazy and had the new Jag I could have bought with the money I spent getting “normal”.
Thanks for the input. I realize that couches must be getting fewer and fewer nowadays but I was just curious as to the origin of the practice; I would surmise that it would be to make the patient more relaxed, less inhibited. Although I could see problems (much more so in Freud’s day and age) with a woman (patient) reclining next to a male (psychiatrist). But maybe I’m being overly prudish:).
zen: I realize the importance of setting boundaries, but I would think that spending an extra five minutes or so with the patient would have positive effects, especially if the interaction is moving in the right direction.
I agree with the ideas posted above. I assume couches were to allow the patient to relax and not have to make eye contact necessarily, thus feeling more comfortable to talk.
As far as the time limit, in may experience there has been a clock nearby where I could check how much time was left and know to wrap it up. Also, therapists sometimes give a “five-minute warning” kind of thing so you are prepared to conclude the session without feeling cut off. The last couple of minutes are spent scheduling the next visit if a regular time is not in place, etc.
Maybe back then such a thought was so unspeakable that it never came up? Actually, no, on second thought, it probably happened all the time, given how women were so prone to fainting spells and hysteria. 
Glad you brought up in the OP the images we see in the media. I know that the The Far Side cartoon strip and Looney Tunes (just two examples off the top of my head; there’s probably tons more) played up the same stereotypical image of a doctor intelligently making notes while his client lies on a long couch, talking about his childhood. Seeing as I’ve never needed psychological therapy (oh be quiet, you smartypantses :D), I don’t know how common this practice is today, but I do know that the image persists in most people’s heads as how psychological therapy goes. It’s not, not necessarily. It depends on the treatment method employed by the psychologist.
And come on-- brusque psychologists and no eye contact? You’re telling your problems to and trusting in the solutions of someone you can’t even look at or talk to comfortably? Sheesh. I’m not saying a psychologist will be your instant best friend, but there has to be more to the client/doctor relationship than that. There has to be some level of respect and trust.
The answer to the first question is that Freud did not want the patient to look at the analyst during the session. This is because Freud wanted the patient to project on to the analyst all sorts of things and he thought actually looking at the analyst would hinder this.
I read that Freud didn’t want his patients to see him, in case he made a shocked expression or grimaced at what they were telling him.
or in case he fell asleep.