New York TV Journalists Shocked by Newman’s Postmodernism

In November 2007, Fred Newman was the featured guest on a one-hour special edition of NY1’s “Inside City Hall.” The broadcast was a one-of-a-kind encounter between postmodern and traditional psychology which focused on Newman’s controversiality.

In October/November 2005 NY1 produced a six-part series called Psychopolitics: Inside the Independence Party of Fred Newman. The show aired on “Inside City Hall” the week prior to the New York mayoral election and many saw it as part of an effort to undermine support for the Independence Party and the re-election of Mayor Michael Bloomberg. In that context, important therapeutic issues were raised in an irresponsible and sensationalized manner.

One of the most important principles of social therapeutic practice is also the most controversial. Social therapy does not treat people in emotional pain as especially vulnerable and by doing so restrict their human capacity to create their lives. Because of the centrality of this position to the success of our work, Newman has been eager to find and create forums to discuss this with other professionals and the general public. Indeed there is currently a lively dialogue among psychotherapists on the related issues of boundaries and dual relationships.

To this end, Newman requested that Time Warner provide another, more responsible, opportunity to discuss these issues on NY1. Dr. Kenneth Gergen, the Mustin Professor of Psychology at Swarthmore College, also advocated with Time Warner that it present such a dialogue. This program finally took place in November 2007.

Ken Gergen joined Newman as a guest on the show. As you will see, Gergen is deeply committed to constructive dialogue, and met fierce resistance from the NY1 team.

Also included on the program was Dr. Cathleen Mann, a frequent critic of social therapy and Newman’s attorney Harry Kresky. The hosts were Dominic Carter and Rita Nissan.

The discussion – often heated – hit on such topics as ethics and boundaries in the therapist/patient relationship; what are appropriate criteria for sexual intimacy between consenting adults; whether therapy patients should be related to as vulnerable and unable to make life choices or as change agents with the capacity to create their lives; laws governing the practice of psychotherapy; and whether therapy patients should be asked to give up their constitutional right to act as members of a free society in order to be in therapy. There was also some brief discussion of Newman’s political involvements, including his role in electing Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

The discussion – often heated – hit on such topics as ethics and boundaries in the therapist/patient relationship; what are appropriate criteria for sexual intimacy between consenting adults; whether therapy patients should be related to as vulnerable and unable to make life choices or as change agents with the capacity to create their lives; laws governing the practice of psychotherapy; and whether therapy patients should be asked to give up their constitutional right to act as members of a free society in order to be in therapy. There was also some brief discussion of Newman’s political involvements, including his role in electing Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

To view this program please click here.