In his article Knobel gives a brief introduction to history and development of psychiatry and outlines the way to nowaday's ecclectic methods. He points out how, in contrast Ammon's school offers ? scientific frame for psychiatry and psychotherapy, integrating the bio-psychosocial approach. This leads to a way of treatment which is basically psychoanalytic, comprising also neurophysiologic ideas and abandoning the instinct theory for a group-dynamic understanding of ego-structures and -functions. Knobel emphasizes nonetheless the Importance of knowing traditional psychiatry and some of its useful therapeutic tools in order to avoid scientific isolation and to open way to communication and development. He objects to dogmatism of any school, which prevents patients from being helped by any useful method available. Having dealt for 35 years now with disturbances in adolescence he has observed a great concordance with Ammon's theories and therapeutic concepts. According to the author's view, adolescence is a genuine developmental period of life. We calls a second symbiotic phase, the outcome of it being adult identity if supported by the surrounding groups or/and a therapeutic setting, which may even be individual psychotherapy.
