The psychotherapist's search for self-renewal.

The role of psychotherapist carries with it special stresses to which many professionals react with depressive feelings, particularly in mid-life. Psychotherapists who participated in small group sessions at two annual institutes of the American Group Psychotherapy Association revealed their depressive feelings in a striking way. Some were able to relate these feelings to early family dynamics that motivated their choice of a caretaking career. The groups concluded that there is a continuing necessity for the caretaker to acknowledge and seek care for his emotional needs. Planners of continuing professional education for psychotherapists should make these needs a central concern.