The creative aspect of dynamic psychotherapy: Parallels between the construction of experienced reality in the literary and the psychotherapeutic process

Abstract

This paper focusses on the creation of structured psychic experience by literary and psychotherapeutic shaping. The comparison between aesthetical and psychotherapeutic creativity serves to improve our understanding and application of psychotherapeutic working mechanisms. The understanding of basic principles whereby traumatic and nontraumatic events are worked through may be helpful in establishing a fruitful interactive process in the psychotherapeutic encounter.