The Case of "Rosa": Reflections on the Treatment of a Survivor of Relational Trauma

Abstract

In this article, I respond to commentaries by Karen Riggs Skean (2018) and Shigeru Iwakabe (2018) on my presentation of the case of "Rosa," (Vigoda Gonzalez, 2018), a survivor of chronic relational trauma. In her insightful response, Riggs Skean (2018) elaborates on the interplay between language switching and the therapeutic frame, the suitability of Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP; Fosha, 2000) for the treatment of trauma, and the short-term nature of the work with this particular client. Iwakabe (2018), an AEDP clinician and researcher, offers insights and reflections on the areas of language switching, emotional change process, and corrective emotional experiences, and poses evocative questions regarding the development of clinical skills relevant to affect-focused therapies. In the following response I consider these thoughtful commentaries and provide feedback with the hope to spur the dialogue regarding the flexible adaptation of treatment approaches to our clients’ psychological needs.