Psychotherapy for Neurologists

Abstract

Psychotherapy has traditionally been regarded as the purview of psychiatry rather than neurology. Yet, the doctor-patient relationship is fundamental to both specialties, and the principles that derive from psychotherapy theory and practice apply to that relationship regardless of the specialty. It is common knowledge that a large proportion of patients seen in the context of the practice of medicine have some kind of emotional disturbance. Moreover, patients with organic disease may also have significant emotional difficulties that complicate both the primary illness and its treatment. This experience inevitably has drawn attention to the need for the nonpsychiatric physician to have an understanding and proficiency in psychiatric diagnosis and psychotherapeutic principles. In this article, we consider basic psychotherapeutic principles that are useful in the everyday practice of neurologists and other nonpsychiatric physicians. These skills are important not only for practical reasons, but also because responsiveness to their emotional distress is essential to maintain empathy and caring as cornerstones of the art of medicine. With the use of clinical examples to illustrate these principles, we hope that readers can apply them to their own clinical experiences.

The British State’s production of the Muslim School: A simultaneity of categories of difference analysis

“…Rather there is a simultaneity and fluidity to these positions. (Youdell, 2010, p. 320) To explain this further, it is possible to draw upon the field of psychoanalysis, which uses a notion of transference to explain the displacement of feelings from the past onto the therapist (Hobday & Gabbard, 2009). In this way the therapist exists as both the therapist and the object of those past feelings at the same time.…”

Psychotherapeutic Tools to Enhance the Neurologist-Patient Interaction

“…The basics of psychotherapy for neurologists were reviewed in Seminars in Neurology over a decade ago. 9 Here, we advance from that foundation and review key skills that can be used by neurologists to improve their interactions and their therapeutic relationship with patients as well as their own satisfaction in their work (see ►Table 1 for an illustrative example).…”