Cult Med Psychiatry. 1997 Mar; 21(1): 53-88.

Alternative psychotherapeutic practice among middle class Americans: I: Case studies and follow-up.

Zatzick DF, Johnson FA.

Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, University of California, San Francisco, USA.

Historically, alternative psychotherapeutic procedures have florished worldwide in various inspirational, spiritualistic and shamanistic versions. However, few investigations have described these interventions in detail, or followed the clinical outcomes longitudinally. This present report is an ethnographic and clinical description of one particular American practitioner's alternative method as it is used with middle class clientele in several regions of the USA. Two case studies are presented in detail while nine individual cases are qualitatively reviewed with one month and one year treatment outcomes reported. A condensed ethnobiographical study of the practitioner's personal and professional life is included.