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Psychotherapeutic Work (psychotherapeutic + work)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Psychology75%

Selected Abstracts

The move from categories to process: Attachment phenomena and clinical evaluation

INFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 4 2004
Arietta Slade
Despite the degree to which attachment theory and research have been embraced by clinicians in recent years, many remain unsure as to what this perspective adds to clinical understanding and psychodynamic thinking about the clinical process. In this article, I outline some ways that developments in the study of attachment have the potential to enrich our clinical work with children and families, and may be particularly illuminating with respect to certain aspects of evaluation, formulation, and diagnosis. This added value comes not from formally assessing patients' attachment classification but from sensitizing clinicians to observing the functioning of the attachment system and to the internal and interpersonal functions of attachment processes. Such awareness on the part of the therapist makes it possible for these dynamic regulatory, defense, and motivational systems to be addressed within the context of evaluation and ongoing psychotherapeutic work. Thinking about attachment processes within the clinical situation does not supplant other aspects of dynamically oriented assessment and evaluation, but rather is theoretically consistent with psychoanalytic models of development and offers new levels of richness and understanding to formulations and treatment planning. [source]

Clinical psychologists do politics: Attitudes and reactions of Israeli psychologists toward the political

PSYCHOTHERAPY AND POLITICS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2009
Nissim Avissar
Abstract This article presents an analysis of a survey among Israeli clinical psychologists, examining their attitudes towards diverse political issues. The survey involved the distribution of 600 questionnaires, 115 of which were returned. Within this framework, psychologists were asked to relate to questions regarding political issues in psychotherapy and the ways of dealing with them, socio-political issues in psychology studies and training processes, socio-political involvement of psychologists as citizens or as professionals, and more. This inquiry enabled the current state of affairs to be portrayed with regard to common professional-political conceptions and stances toward political aspects of psychotherapeutic work. The survey's findings point to a divide within the Israeli psychologist community, as expressed by divergent and contradictory opinions that arise in response to a sizable portion of the issues examined. It is quite possible that this rift marks a process of change and indicates the decline of the conservative psychodynamic conceptual system. This theoretical perspective had, up until recently, a hegemonic position within the Israeli psychotherapeutic milieu. In most cases this standpoint was applied in a dogmatic manner, justifying a passive social-political stance in the name of anonymity and neutrality. It appears that still, today, this epistemic position is predominant within the Israeli psychotherapeutic culture. However, nowadays, a large minority of Israeli clinical psychologists seems to be sensitive to different political aspects of psychotherapy and favourable toward working in a politically informed and socially responsible manner. As political issues are almost entirely absent from psychology academic programs and clinical training processes, there is much confusion and helplessness as to how such issues and phenomena should be treated in therapy. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Psychotherapy in the aesthetic attitude

THE JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2010
John Beebe
Abstract:, Drawing upon the writings of Jungian analyst Joseph Henderson on unconscious attitudes toward culture that patients and analysts may bring to therapy, the author defines the aesthetic attitude as one of the basic ways that cultural experience is instinctively accessed and processed so that it can become part of an individual's self experience. In analytic treatment, the aesthetic attitude emerges as part of what Jung called the transcendent function to create new symbolic possibilities for the growth of consciousness. It can provide creative opportunities for new adaptation where individuation has become stuck in unconscious complexes, both personal and cultural. In contrast to formulations that have compared depth psychotherapy to religious ritual, philosophic discourse, and renewal of socialization, this paper focuses upon the considerations of beauty that make psychotherapy also an art. In psychotherapeutic work, the aesthetic attitude confronts both analyst and patient with the problem of taste, affects how the treatment is shaped and ,framed', and can grant a dimension of grace to the analyst's mirroring of the struggles that attend the patient's effort to be a more smoothly functioning human being. The patient may learn to extend the same grace to the analyst's fumbling attempts to be helpful. The author suggests that the aesthetic attitude is thus a help in the resolution of both countertransference and transference en route to psychological healing. Translations of Abstract S'appuyant sur les écrits de l'analyste jungien Joseph Henderson sur les attitudes inconscientes vis-à-vis la culture que patient et analyste apportent en thérapie, l'auteur définit l'attitude esthétique comme l'un des moyens élémentaires d'appréhension par la conscience de l'expérience culturelle, celle-ci devenant une part consciente de l'expérience propre d'un individu. Dans le traitement analytique, l'attitude esthétique émerge comme une partie de ce que Jung a nommé la fonction transcendante, apte à créer de nouvelles possibilités symboliques d'accroissement de la conscience. Elle peut offrir des possibilités créatrices d'adaptation nouvelle, là où l'individuation s'est enlisée dans les complexes inconscients, à la fois personnels et culturels. S'érigeant contre les formulations qui ont comparé la psychologie des profondeurs au rituel religieux, au discours philosophique et au renouveau de la socialisation, l'auteur met l'accent sur une prise en compte de la beauté qui fait de la psychothérapie également un art. Dans le travail psychothérapeutique, l'attitude esthétique confronte l'analyste et le patient au problème du goût, influe sur la forme et le cadre de l'analyse et peut conférer une dimension de grâce à la façon dont l'analyste renvoie en miroir au patient ses combats et ses efforts pour devenir un être humain au fonctionnement plus flexible. De même, le patient peut-il concéder la même grâce aux tentatives maladroites de l'analyste pour se rendre utile. L'auteur suggère que l'attitude esthétique constitue donc une aide à la résolution du transfert et du contre-transfert,,en route,vers la guérison psychologique. Am Beispiel der Schriften des jungianischen Analytikers Joseph Henderson über unbewußte kulturelle Haltungen, die Patienten wie Analytiker in die Behandlung einbringen, definiert der Autor die ästhetische Haltung als einen der elementaren Wege, auf dem instinktiv Zugang zur kulturellen Erfahrung gewonnen und vorangetrieben wird, so daß diese zum bewußten Bestandteil der Erfahrungswelt eines Individuums werden kann. Innerhalb der analytischen Behandlung erscheint die ästhetische Haltung als Teil dessen, was Jung die Transzendente Funktion nennt, um neue symbolische Möglichkeiten für das Wachstum des Bewußtseins entstehen zu lassen. Sie kann kreative Möglichkeiten für Neuadaptionen da schaffen, wo die Individuation in einem unbewußten Komplex steckengeblieben ist und dies sowohl auf personeller wie auch auf kultureller Ebene. Im Kontrast zu Ausführungen in denen Tiefenpsychologie mit religiösen Ritualen, philosophischen Diskursen und Erneuerung der Sozialisation verglichen wurde fokussiert sich der Autor auf die Betrachtungen der Schönheit, welche Psychotherapie zugleich zu einer Kunst werden lassen. In der psychotherapeutischen Arbeit konfrontiert die ästhetische Haltung den Analytiker wie den Patienten mit dem Problem des Geschmacks der beeinflußt, wie die Behandlung geformt und ,gerahmt' wird, und der eine Dimension der Anmut zum Spiegeln des Analytikers hinzufügt, dem Spiegeln des Ringens, welches die Anstrengungen des Patienten, ein glattes funktionierendes menschliches Wesen zu sein, begleitet. Der Patient kann lernen, die gleiche Anmut den tastenden Versuchen des Analytikers hilfreich zu sein, entgegen zu bringen. Der Autor unterstellt, daß die ästhetische Haltung eine Hilfe darstellen kann bei der Auflösung sowohl der Gegenübertragung als auch der Übertragung auf dem Weg zu seelischer Heilung. Attingendo agli scritti dell'analista junghiano Joseph Henderson sugli atteggiamenti inconsci nei confronti della cultura che pazienti e analisti possono portare in terapia, l'autore definisce l'atteggiamento estetico come uno dei modi basici con cui si accede istintivamente all'esperienza culturale così che questa possa diventare parte conscia dell'esperienza di un individuo del sé. Nella terapia analitica l'atteggiamento estetico. Emerge come parte di ciò che Jung chiamo funzione trascendente per creare nuove forme simboliche per lo sviluppo della consapevolezza. Può fornire opportunità creative per un nuovo adattamento quando l'individuazione è rimasta bloccata in complessi inconsci, sia personali che culturali. In contrasto con le affermazioni che hanno comparato la psicoterapia del profondo al rituale religioso, al discorso filosofico e al rinnovamento della socializzazione, l'autore si concentra sulla considerazione della bellezza che fa della psicoterapia anche un'arte. Nel lavoro psicoterapeutico, l'atteggiamento estetico mette a confronto sia l'analista che il paziente con il problema del gusto, influenza il modo in cui il trattamento prende forma e ,si struttura', e può aggiungere una dimensione di gentilezza al rispecchiamento dell'analista delle lotte che accompagnano lo sforzo del paziente di divenire un essere umano più morbido. Il paziente può imparare ad estendere la stessa gentilezza ai goffi tentativi dell'analista di essere di aiuto. L'autore pensa che nel percorso di guarigione l'atteggiamento estetico può quindi essere di aiuto alla risoluzione del transfert e del controtransfert. Estudiando los trabajos del analista Jungiano Joseph Henderson sobre las actitudes inconscientes hacia la cultura que pacientes y analistas aportan a la terapia, el autor define la actitud estética como una de las formas básicas en las cuales la experiencia cultural es instintivamente alcanzada y procesada para ser parte consciente de la experiencia individual del self. En el tratamiento analítico, la actitud estética surge como parte de lo que Jung llamó la función trascendente, ella crea nuevas posibilidades simbólicas para el desarrollo de la consciencia. Ella puede proporcionar oportunidades creativas para una nueva adaptación donde la individuación se ha detenido en complejos inconscientes, tanto personales como culturales. Contrastando con formulaciones que han comparado la psicoterapia profunda con el ritual religioso, el discurso filosófico, y la renovación de la socialización, el autor se enfoca en aquellas consideraciones sobre la belleza que hacen de la psicoterapia un arte. En el trabajo psicoterapéutico, la actitud estética confronta tanto al analista como al paciente con el problema del gusto, afecta en cómo el tratamiento es establece y se ,encuadra', pudiendo otorgar una dimensión de gracia al espejo del analista en las luchas que asisten al esfuerzo del paciente para convertirse en un ser humano más armónico. Al paciente aprender a ver esta misma gracia en los esfuerzos del analista por ser útil. El autor sugiere que la actitud estética es, por lo tanto, una ayuda en la resolución de la contratransferencia y de la transferencia en el camino de la cura psicológica. [source]

A qualitative exploration of the perception of emotions in anorexia nervosa: A basic emotion and developmental perspective

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY (AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THEORY & PRACTICE), Issue 4 2009
John R. E. Fox
Abstract Difficulties in emotional processing have long been regarded as a core difficulty within anorexia nervosa. Recent research and theory have started to highlight how eating disorder symptoms are often used to regulate painful emotions. However, there has been a lack of theoretical sophistication in how emotions have been considered within the eating disorders. This study was designed to use qualitative methodologies to address these inadequacies and provide a richer, more thorough account of emotions within anorexia nervosa. It used a grounded theory methodology to gather and analyse interview data from 11 participants who had a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, being seen at a regional eating disorder service (both inpatient and day patient). The results highlighted two main overarching themes regarding the perception and management of emotions within anorexia nervosa: (1) development of poor meta-emotional skills; and (2) perception and management of emotion in anorexia nervosa. These two categories comprised of a significant number of components from the qualitative analysis, including difficulties with anger, meta-emotional skills and poverty of emotional environments while growing up. Once the data had been collected and analysed, links were made between the findings of this research and the current literature base.,Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Message: Practitoners needs to consider the importance of poor meta-emotional skills within anorexia nervosa. These meta skills appears to be more complicated than the simplistic notion of alexithymia. The routes to these difficulties in emotion appear to be drawn from a complicated developmental picture. The role of anger needs to be considered more fully in the psychotherapeutic work with people with anorexia nervosa. This study's findings suggest that increasing levels of anger may play a role in increased eating disorder symptomatology, especially vomitting. [source]