British Journal of Psychotherapy最新文献

In this paper, I present the idea that the documentary film My Octopus Teacher (Ehrlich & Reed) is an evocative allegory for some key threads in the ongoing learning at the heart of psychotherapy. On the one hand, the film is a narrative about a relationship formed between the narrator and documentary-maker Craig and an octopus that he encounters in daily dives in an underwater kelp forest. On the other hand, it is a story–dream of a man and an octopus who swim together in the proto-mental seas of the unconscious, a space where fluidity and symmetry rule, and where the boundaries between I and thou dissolve. Alongside the theme of mutual dream work, the documentary presents an evocative allegory of what it takes to practice as a therapist: the maps of our own disintegration that inform our work, and the key dispositions of learning to watch and observe and to fine tune our faith.

The attempt to identify and classify distinct experiences falling under the common designation of countertransference has been labelled the specifist tradition. In this paper, a model describing two dimensions differentiating four components of countertransference experience is proposed. For each experiential component (subjective countertransference, objective countertransference, therapeutic attitude and emerging experience), a brief description based on previous literature from diverse theoretical fields is offered, along with clinical implications and illustrations and an account of empirical literature explicitly or implicitly addressing the specific component. In conclusion, the model is presented as a heuristic guide that can serve different purposes across different therapeutic orientations, with valuable implications for practice, training and supervision.

This paper aims to advance a theoretical and clinical perspective on the developmental origin and role of omnipotence in early object relations, and a differentiation of the adult sequelae of these maturational dynamics. The focus is on negative omnipotence as inherent in the constitution and impact of the psychotic part of the personality. The case history of the psychoanalytic psychotherapy of a man with a psychiatric diagnosis of obsessive–compulsive disorder illustrates the self and treatment defeating impact of negative omnipotence. Diplomatic therapeutic engagement, based on the understanding that these negative therapeutic dynamics represent unfinished maturational processes, is presented as enabling treatment to progress and facilitate gradual beneficial modification in the use of omnipotence intra-psychically and inter-personally.

Although countless studies provide evidence that many juvenile offences originate from traumatic episodes and consistently demonstrate that exposure to adverse childhood experiences is a significant risk factor for antisocial development, our understanding of the processes that lead some but not all traumatized children to become juvenile offenders is still in progress. By presenting some clinical cases regarding juvenile offenders, the author aims to illustrate how different growth paths, marked by omissive or break-in experiences, can lead to the same criminal end-point. The dissociative spectrum mechanisms, the standstill of figurative and symbolic capacity, and the lack of thought resulting from adverse experiences account for the economic and functional underpinnings that lead to juvenile delinquency. For these adolescents, criminal acting represents the ultimate means to neutralize the trauma's attractive force or to mark a boundary to the emotional void left behind by violence or an unsuccessful primary caregiving experience.

This article presents the results of a Master's research study into the impact of sibling experiences on psychodynamic practitioners. Interpretative phenomenological analysis offered participating therapists an opportunity to make sense of how their own sibling experiences may have shaped their lives and work and sought to generate wider insights about sibling influence should they emerge. Data was obtained from semi-structured interviews with six psychodynamic practitioners. The research produced three major findings: that siblings do have a significant and enduring impact on the development of the self; that sibling theory and training could do more to explain this; and that the sibling legacy of both therapist and client is present in the consulting room. The article identifies important theoretical insights on how siblings shape our internal worlds and contribute to development. It argues that without understanding their own sibling material, therapists risk missing the importance of siblings in clinical work. To avoid this, training and continuing professional development bodies could give higher priority to sibling theory and clinical understanding, and supervisors and therapists could undertake to increase their own awareness of their own sibling impacts as well as those of their clients.

In this article, the authors aim to exemplify how psychoanalysis can apply to the community partially modifying its external setting, such as opening to group settings and including arts and music, while remaining firm in some structural tools, such as psychoanalytical observation and listening, play and attention to the intrapsychic dynamics of participants, including the psychoanalysts and their countertransference. They illustrate the experience of some projects, in particular one carried out for 3 years and ongoing, where young migrants, hosted in Refugee Shelters, meet Italian students in Secondary Schools. This article also describes the value of Music as an element of ‘psychoanalytic play’, establishing intrapsychic and interpersonal links.

This qualitative study explored therapists' attitudes towards psychotherapy integration. Twenty-nine psychoanalytic/psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) therapists completed an open-ended survey that focused on their personal understanding of psychotherapy integration, examples from their own practice and reflections on improving integrative therapy. Participants were also encouraged to share attitudes and perceptions towards the other therapeutic paradigm (CBT towards psychoanalysis, and vice versa). Thematic analysis revealed three main themes: (1) Positive perceptions and benefits of psychotherapy integration, (2) Negative perceptions and challenges of psychotherapy integration and (3) Proposals for strengthening integration in clinical practice. While most participants had a strong allegiance to their modality, they recognised the need for flexibility and additional techniques from other paradigms to address individual client needs. However, participants raised concerns about the level of knowledge required for integrative work and the epistemological compatibility between CBT and psychoanalysis. Some responses reflected the ongoing ‘turf wars’ between the two paradigms, with some referring to ‘outdated’ psychoanalytic ideas and ‘dogmatic’ evidence-based hierarchies. Suggestions were made for further development of psychotherapy integration during the training and post-qualification. The study reflects a generally positive outlook towards integration while recognising the challenges as well as the continuing resistances between CBT and psychoanalytic paradigms.