Psychoanalytic theory was widely accepted throughout the 20th Century and was the dominant approach in clinical psychology until about the mid-1950s. During this period, however, a number of alternative approaches began to emerge, often criticizing and even discrediting Freudian psychoanalysis altogether as a method of treatment. While both the critics and supporters of psychoanalysis agreed that analysis could not provide an explanation of mental disorders, they disagreed on whether or not it was useful. Some argued that psychoanalysis provided no benefit to patients, but others claimed that it did improve the lives of those who underwent it.
In 1952, Hans Eysenck wrote against Freudian theory, citing studies showing that patients did not improve any better than if they received no treatment at all. Albert Ellis rejected Freudian analysis as well, and his influence on Aaron Beck – who practiced as a psychoanalyst before abandoning the field – led him to feel the theory was more a matter of faith than a science.
