The late 19th century saw the emergence of psychology as a formal science. While was establishing the first experimental psychology lab in 1879, Sigmund Freud was developing psychoanalysis . Freud shifted the focus from the physical brain to the "unconscious mind," suggesting that childhood trauma and repressed desires drove mental illness. This popularized the "talking cure" and dominated clinical practice for the first half of the 20th century. The Biological Revolution
The history of psychiatry and medical psychology is a journey from viewing mental illness as a spiritual failing to understanding it as a complex interplay of biology, environment, and the human narrative. The Era of Spirits and Humors History of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology: W...
Simultaneously, emerged, blending the study of observable behavior with the internal "computer" of the mind. This created a more evidence-based, short-term approach to psychological treatment. Modern Psychiatry: The Biopsychosocial Model The late 19th century saw the emergence of