The Therapeutic Process: A Clinical Introduction to Psychodynamic Therapy

Abstract

The Therapeutic Process presents an informative, well-defined, and clinically rich guide to the process of psychodynamic psychotherapy. It is specifically designed to have broad appeal and value for both beginning and more experienced clinicians, as well as those who also teach psychoanalytic psychotherapy. The organization of the book is designed to conform to the progression of a psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Since anticipating a realistic outcome of a psychodynamic therapy is a valuable starting point for patient and therapist alike, the first two chapters review initial patient assessment and the goals of psychodynamic therapy and describe difficulties to anticipate with patients. Five conceptual dream models offer both a method for understanding dreams and a template for listening to the clinical hour. Psychodynamic principles and theories in conjunction with clinical examples present an outline for the conceptualization of the dynamic formulation, which is a preface to the analysis of character structures. Clinical examples illustrate individual defenses and coping mechanisms. The authors define a variety of therapeutic interventions, including advice, educational comments, supportive comments, clarifications, resistance-oriented comments, transference-related interpretations, reconstructions, and self-revelations. Important discussions focus on the timing of interpretations, the use of tact, and the role of interpretation. Transference in everyday life and as part of the therapeutic process is explored, and different types of transference patterns are defined, including the classical and more contemporary relational theories of transference. Empathy and countertransference and their role in the clinical process are also explored. The role of working through in the clinical process is detailed, and more significantly, the microelements of working through as seen on a day-to-day basis in a treatment are elaborated. The last chapters speak to the end of a psychotherapy with a discussion of termination and a review of the phases of a psychotherapy process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)