The Measurement of Time and Psychotherapy

Abstract

Time is a fundamental dimension in psychotherapy. If we extend our reflection on time to the field of philosophy, we encounter St Augustine’s analyses of time. A significant statement by Augustine is that it is not possible to measure time. It may seem strange that a contemporary scientist, C. Rovelli, affirms the same thing, drawing on the work of Galileo and Newton. This thesis, which is important for the history of science, is also important for psychotherapy. The fact that time cannot be measured in quantitative terms leaves more scope for a qualitative ‘measurement’, one that encompasses joy and pain, repetition and creativity – precisely the elements we deal with in psychotherapy.