Psychodynamic therapy.

Psychoanalytic theory in psychotherapy.

“…Kohut emphasized human subjectivity and the importance of attuning empathically both within the context of early relationships and within the therapeutic relationship (Greenberg & Mitchell, 1983;Ornstein & Ornstein, 2008). Kohut's approach to treatment involved the therapist's empathic attunement, authenticity, and acceptance of the patient (Kohut, 1971;McWilliams, 2014). He formulated new understandings of transference, such as an idealizing transference, in which a patient fantasizes that the therapist is perfect, powerful, and omnipotent and thereby feels a sense of power through an association with the idealized analyst.…”

“…The movement from a two-person psychology to a three-person psychology within the intersubjective and relational movements within psychoanalysis, which involve a more egalitarian approach, was influenced by Ferenczi' s work, the British object relations theorists, American interpersonal psychoanalysis, and self-psychology. Intersubjective theory challenged the notion of the neutrality of the analyst or therapist, emphasizing that the therapist' s subjective experiences and the client' s subjective experiences are influenced by the conscious and unconscious dynamics of both the therapist and the client (McWilliams, 2014). Ogden (2004) described the analytic third as a third subject that is formed through the unconscious interaction of the therapist' s and the client' s subjectivities (Aron, 2006;Hinshelwood, 2012).…”

“…In fact, there has been a growing emphasis on the importance of pluralism in psychoanalytic theory, as pluralism allows for a more complete understanding of intrapsychic, interpersonal, and sociocultural experiences (Aron, 2018;McWilliams, 2020;Tummala-Narra, 2016). Various psychoanalytic scholars have described key aspects of psychoanalytic psychotherapy based on multiple theories, such as classical drive theory, ego psychology, object relations theory, self-psychology, inter subjective theory, and relational theory (Barsness, 2018;Luborsky & Barrett, 2006;McWilliams, 2014;Shedler, 2010). For example, Shedler (2010) delineated seven features of psychoanalytic psychotherapy: (a) focus on affect and expression of emotion, (b) explore attempts to avoid distressing thoughts and feelings (e.g., defenses), (c) identify recurring themes and patterns, (d) discuss past experience and the relationship between the past and the present, (e) explore interpersonal relations, (f) focus on the therapeutic relationship, and (g) explore fantasy life (e.g., dreams).…”

“…Psychoanalytic therapists conduct short-term and long-term therapy and work with children, adolescents, adults, couples, families, groups, trauma survivors, and clients coping with a range of problems, such as substance abuse, depression, anxiety, traumatic stress, dissociation, eating disorders, personality disorders, and psychosis (Karon, 2002;McWilliams, 2014;Ringstrom, 2018;Silber, 2012). There is a common misconception that psychoanalytic psychotherapy is unequivocally long-term with regard to length of treatment.…”

“…There is a common misconception that psychoanalytic psychotherapy is unequivocally long-term with regard to length of treatment. In fact, Notably Freud and many early analysts, such as Karl Abraham, conducted brief psychoanalytic treatment in addition to longerterm psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy, which are thought to have longer-lasting therapeutic benefits to clients (McWilliams, 2014). Dynamic processes, such as transference, resistance, and intrapsychic and interpersonal conflict, are a core part of both long-term and short-term psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapy (Abbass & Town, 2021;Luborsky & Barrett, 2006).…”