Basic principles of psychoanalytic therapy.

Abstract

The course covers basic concepts of the psychoanalytic therapies. Emphasis will be placed on helping students develop a psychoanalytic sensibility and familiarity with analytic techniques. The course will illustrate the implication of the various analytic ideas for technique and focus on the use of formulation as a guide for intervention. Appreciation of individual differences is a part of analytic sensibility and the course will therefore, focus on developing the facility of adapting treatment to the unique patient, in consideration of differences in diagnosis, personal history, age, gender, sexual orientation, culture, religion and other aspects of individuality. Finally, it is hoped that the training will facilitate the development of a professional identity of the student as a psychodynamically oriented clinician and professional in the field. Requirements Each student will carry two individual adult clients under supervision, in open-ended, psychoanalytically oriented treatment. Students are expected to have psychodynamic/psychoanalytic supervisors for their cases. Video recordings and case material of both cases will be presented in class for discussion. One of the cases will be written up following the model required for oral presentations of cases at GSAPP as well as other professional settings but with certain elaborations. It is expected that the write up will integrate case material with relevant concepts from the course readings and lectures. Cases may be individuals already in treatment with the student. The second writing assignment will be a clinical exploration of a topic discussed in class. In other words, students are expected to select a topic of interest, read the related research and theory and apply it to a clinical vignette. Details of these assignments will be discussed further in class.

The Effect of Therapist Availability on the Frequency of Patient-Initiated Between-Session Contact.

“…For these reasons, some have recommended limited therapist availability (cf. Auld & Hyman, 1991). On the other hand, a therapeutic policy allowing reasonable between-session availability might be beneficial to a patient's progress.…”

“…Langs, 1989; Linehan, 1993), whereas others prefer a more conservative approach to this issue (cf. Auld & Hyman, 1991). In fact, the only definitive recommendation for professional practice found across sources appears to be advice against accepting nonemergency calls during sessions because of the disruptive effect such an interruption has on the therapeutic session (e.g., Langs, 1989; Pope & Vasquez, 1998).…”