A pioneer’s parting gift to psychotherapists by Randeep Wadehra

The science of mental healing by Dr. NL Dosajh (edited by Dr. Kuldip Kumar Dhiman)

Unistar, Chandigarh. Pages: ix+166. Price: Rs. 295/-

Human mind is a complex phenomenon. It can be a great source of strength goading one to perform superhuman feats and yet be frail enough to fall victim to assorted emotional traumas and disorders. Often mind and brains are considered synonymous in common parlance. However, while brain is a biological organ, admittedly the most complex, mind is a larger and more sophisticated concept involving one’s will, thoughts and emotions among other things. Therefore, mental disorders invariably present an intractable challenge to psychotherapists who employ techniques largely based on verbal and emotional communication in conjunction with other symbolic behavior. Scientific understanding and treatment of mental disorders is of comparatively recent origin but already quite an impressive work has been done in this field.

Consequently, different streams of this therapy have come into being. For instance there is psychoanalytic psychotherapy wherein hypnosis plays a vital role. Influenced by French neurologist Jean Martin Charcot the Austrian Physician and founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud used hypnosis to uncover long forgotten, distressing experiences in the psyche of his neurotic patients. He also used the free association technique while treating them. Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, and neo-Freudians like Erich Fromm, Karen Horney and Erik Erikson were some of the noted practitioners of this therapy. Humanistic Psychotherapy, Gestalt Psychology and Behavior Psychotherapy are the other forms of treatments for healing assorted mental disorders.

The late Dr. NL Dosajh was among the tallest of Indian psychotherapists of his time. He was a UNESCO Fellow at Bangkok’s International Institute of Child Study, and a Guest Professor at the PGIMR, Chandigarh, among other things during his long and illustrious career. Not only did he perform great pioneering work in the field but also remained dedicated to his profession till his last breath. He synthesized western and eastern concepts and practices to heal his patients with remarkable success. That he was a master psychotherapist can be vouchsafed by this reviewer who was a witness to the rescue of a patient from the dreaded dark abyss of schizophrenia.

The progenitor of ‘D Test’ and New Personality Theory Dr. Dosajh firmly believed that psychotherapy made it imperative to identify the sources of distress. Communication, for him, was the primary means of healing, making the relationship between the therapist and patient vital. In this volume, his swan song and an invaluable parting gift to his successors in the profession, he has dealt with various theories and aetiology of mental illness, psychosynthesis, psychoneurosis etc, providing case studies and related information. In fact this book can be a valuable textbook for students of psychotherapy and a handbook for practicing professionals. The value of this tome is enhanced by Dr. Kuldip Kumar Dhiman’s able editing. Dr. Dhiman has a doctorate in Philosophical Psychology and specializes in Freudian Psychoanalysis and Evolutionary Psychology.