THERE HAVE BEEN REVOLUTIONARY REVISIONS IN PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC METHODS AND SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE KINDS OF PATIENTS OR CLIENTS RECEIVING PSYCHOTHERAPY. IN ADDITION, CHANGES HAVE OCCURRED IN THE TYPES OF PSYCHOTHERAPY PRACTITIONERS. THE MOST PROMINENT CHANGE AGENTS SEEM TO BE THE PROLIFERATION OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH CARE OF A LARGE CROSS-SECTION OF THE U.S. POPULATION AND THE EXPANSION OF THERAPY BENEFITS TO A LARGER NUMBER OF PERSONS COVERED BY HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAMS. COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA HAVE BROUGHT AN INCREASED SOPHISTICATION TO ALL LEVELS OF SOCIETY. THE SYMPOSIUM, FOCUSING ON THE MEMBERS OF ETHNIC MINORITIES (BLACKS AND PUERTO RICANS) WHO ARE EITHER PATIENTS OR THERAPISTS, WAS CONCEIVED TO EXPLORE THE EFFECT OF SOCIAL CHANGES ON THE PRACTICE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY. SOME OF THE KEY ISSUES ADDRESSED AT THE SYMPOSIUM PERTAINED TO STEREOTYPED CONCEPTS ABOUT WHITE AUTHORITY FIGURES AND WHETHER THEY INTRUDE ON TRANSFERENCE IN THE COURSE OF THERAPY, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GROUP THERAPY WITH MINORITY PATIENTS AS OPPOSED TO INDIVIDUAL RELATIONSHIPS, DIFFERENCES THAT MAY PREVAIL IF THE TREATMENT METHOD IS PSYCHOANALYSIS RATHER THAN PSYCHOTHERAPY, THE EFFECT OF STEREOTYPED ATTITUDES OF WHITE PATIENTS ON TRANSFERENCE IN THE CASE OF MINORITY THERAPISTS, AND THE CASE WHERE BOTH PATIENT AND THERAPIST ARE MINORITY MEMBERS. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)