Abstract. In this article we review research on eating disorders with the Rorschach. In this field there are two main lines of research involving two specific methodologies: the Comprehensive System and the French school. We present the main results of the different studies separately and then comment on some similarities and differences in the findings. We find that the results of these studies are complementary on certain aspects of functioning found in anorexia nervosa as compared with other categories of eating disorders. Both sets of studies underline the self-centeredness of anorexic patients with their difficulty in communicating their feelings and thoughts. In both types of study, treatment is understood as relying on an integrative and multidisciplinary model that seeks to modify the eating behaviors and to improve ego functions in order to moderate the patient’s distress. In addition, both types of research show that secure attachment would be the first priority for the therapist in psychological treatment, which should increase the patient’s confidence in others. They also both stress the importance of the restoration of self-esteem and a sense of identity through the support offered by the relationship to the therapist.
This chapter demonstrates the Therapeutic Assessment with Couples (TA-2) model, summarizing its rationale and the literature on its development and effects. It also reviews research on partner selection and its evolution into long-term “couple dances.” Couple dances are patterns through which partners manage their psychological conflicts at the expense of rigid, dissatisfying couple relationships. Based on the mechanisms underlying couple functioning, the chapter describes the aims and the basic steps of the TA-2. First, the couple and assessor collaboratively formulate questions to be answered through the assessment process. TA-2 toggles between individual sessions and couple sessions. Individual sessions, composed of tests and collaborative processing of the testing experience, allow partners to gain insight and develop a new comprehension of their relational problems supported by the assessor. The insights and shared understanding that emerge are discussed and reviewed in the summary session, which aims to answer both the individual’s and the couple’s assessment questions. In the end, the assessor sends the couple written feedback, including answers to their assessment questions and test results, which is discussed during the summary and discussion session. This chapter illustrates the TA-2 model with a real case in which partners dealt with intolerable affect states due to their upbringing and the consequences of severe stressors they suffered due to rigid projective identification. The couple exemplifies the “avoidant-pursuer” dance. The TA-2 allowed both partners to become aware of the origins of such dance and become more able to tolerate intimacy.
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