More about Darwin and Clinical Psych

• EVOLUTIONARY CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY by DOUG MACKIE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST, 3/25/97
  • Evolutionary Clinical Psychology by James Brody, 3/26/97
    
    

Evolutionary principles and guiding clinical practice

Evolutionary theory invades your thinking. Adopting and applying ideas was probably one more psychological adaptation for "homo habilis" (see Leakey R, 1994, The origin of humankind, Basic Books) and I'm proud to be related to him. Darwining mechanisms, especially the material on mating, dominance, altruism, and inclusive fitness easily mutates into forms that apply to daily problems and in language that nearly everyone can remember. For example, "sibling rivalry" becomes "competition," a competition that can be manipulated to build cooperation at times! A thoughtless child is less puzzling to mom when she understands that he is running his own program in order to extend his own interests, using behaviors and consequences that start with nursing. A confused office worker can be advised with some conviction not to take the office swain too seriously and she can be given fairly specific hints about his next probable offer or supplication.

About other references. Kalman Glantz (kglantz@user1.channel1.com) is collecting material for a casebook on evolutionary psychology. You might check with him about progress or the opportunity to make contributions. Snailmail him at Kalman Glantz PhD, 12 Kinnaird St., Cambridge, MA 02139.

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