Final answer:
Asclepius' approach to healing was not based on talking therapy but rather on a mix of rituals and dream interpretation within a religious context. It was later figures like Hippocrates and Freud who advanced the idea of natural causes for diseases and the role of the mind and talking therapy in treating psychological disorders.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ancient Greek physician Asclepius was known for his sanctuaries such as the one at Epidaurus, which served as healing temples where patients would undergo a series of rituals and offerings to the gods, as well as engage in therapeutic activities like dream interpretation. Evidence points to the practice of incubation or temple sleep, where the patient would sleep in the temple and receive visions or dreams that were interpreted by priests or the patient to guide healing. However, it is important to note that the more holistic approach practiced by Asclepius and reflected in the treatments available at his sanctuaries has some conceptual resemblance to modern psychological treatment, where exploration of the subconscious can be key. Yet, Asclepius' practices were not talking therapies in the modern sense, and they were intertwined with religious rituals and belief in divine intervention.
In contrast, Hippocrates and later figures like Sigmund Freud laid down the foundations for understanding disease and psychological disorders in terms of natural causes and the workings of the mind respectively. Hippocrates was a pioneer in moving away from supernatural explanations for disease, advocating for natural causes. Freud's introduction of psychoanalysis with its emphasis on the unconscious mind and talking therapy foreshadowed today's psychological treatments, echoing the idea that talking could help alleviate some mental illnesses and disturbances.