Einzel- und Paarintervention f��r depressive Koronarpatienten

Depressive symptoms in patients presenting with coronary heart disease have an impact on quality of life, health behavior, and prognosis. The psychotherapeutic interventions which had been tested for their efficacy in previous randomized controlled trials, showed only minor effects. A stepwise approach consisting of individual and group psychotherapeutic interventions was tested for efficacy in a German multicenter study. The presented paper describes the therapeutic procedure for two individual sessions and one couple session by means of case examples. The main focus was to determine depressive symptoms along with underlying maladaptive personality traits such as negative affectivity and social inhibition (type D pattern). Depressive mood, disappointments and mortifications both in private and professional life and also during the previous treatment are verbalized. Dysfunctional relation patterns and maladaptive sickness behavior are taken up by the psychotherapist and alternative behavior patterns are developed. The objective of the couple session is strengthening the partnership resources and offering relief of fears and worries relative to the heart disease. The psychotherapeutic procedure is psychodynamically oriented but also contains cognitive-behavioral and interactional treatment approaches.     

Von anderen Patienten lernen

Today, internet-based technologies are used at all levels of psychosocial services. Current psychotherapeutic applications concentrate on the implementation of traditional approaches in the internet. Self-help programs are posted onto the net, therapies are conducted via e-mail and groups meet in virtual chat rooms. If one looks at the development of the web over the last 2 years, it becomes clear that the substantial growth and popularity of this medium is due to internet platforms where contents and knowledge can be developed in collaborative environments and experiences can be shared with other users. The present paper addresses this development. On the basis of our example it is discussed how collaborative elements can be integrated into a psychotherapeutic application.     

Religion,Kultur und Psychotherapie bei muslimischen Migranten

Patients from collective cultures with a tradition-bound Islamic cultural background (e.g. people from the Middle East and some Far East countries, such as Pakistan and Indonesia) have different values, norms and perceptions of spirituality and religion. These concepts of spirituality and religion have a different perception of disease and different conceptions of healing, which up to now have not been sufficiently appreciated in modern multimodal therapeutic approaches and health management. The notions of magic, healing ceremonies and religious rituals can be used as intercultural resources by taking scientific psychotherapeutic standards into consideration. Taking patients’ value systems also into consideration in a culturally sensitive way, they can promote the medical psychotherapeutic work and lead to establishing partnership-like relationships between patient and therapist.     

Indikation zur strukturbezogenen Psychotherapie

The distinction of conflict processing and structure promoting psychotherapeutic approaches in the psychodynamic field is now common knowledge and has now been incorporated into the guideline comments. The differentiation of treatment presupposes theoretical knowledge of the dynamics of conflict and structure and corresponding thorough initial diagnostics. Based on these foundations an appropriate focus of therapy can be agreed with the patient and the therapy target can be set. This focussed working towards a joint target is especially important for psychodynamic psychotherapeutic treatment, which is of limited duration. The actively accompanying therapeutic process differs from older assumptions that positive developments on the foundation of a therapeutic relationship occur quasi automatically but possibly need a long time. Aspects of the treatment technique and the therapeutic attitude, estimation of the therapeutic development and typical age-related modifications in adolescents and older persons are discussed.     

Narrative and discursive approaches to the analysis of subjectivity in psychotherapy

This paper reviews research that utilises language-based analyses (narrative analysis, discourse analysis and conversation analysis) to examine aspects of subjectivity in the context of psychotherapy. The studies reviewed fall broadly into two main groups. On the one hand, studies which share a view of subjectivity as the sum of internal 'voices' in dialogue adopt a narrative approach, examine subjectivity in terms of organisation, coherence and self-reflection, and consider psychotherapy a process of restoring an organised polyphony. On the other hand, studies which conceptualise subjectivity in terms of 'subject positions' adopt a discursive approach, emphasise the availability of subject positions and flexibility in adopting them and examine psychotherapy as a process of facilitating the flexible adoption by the client of a variety of subject positions. Theoretical, epistemological and methodological issues regarding each of the two approaches are discussed, along with representative studies. We finally examine the implications of these two approaches for understanding psychotherapeutic practice and for theorising and researching subjectivity.     

Engaging the anomalous: reflections from the anthropology of the paranormal

Abstract

This review article looks at some of the parallels between the contents of this special issue on the paranormal and insights from the anthropology of religion, the anthropology of consciousness, transpersonal anthropology and the anthropology of the paranormal. The paper introduces the history of anthropology’s engagement with the paranormal, from the early evolutionist perspectives of anthropology’s pioneers to the most recent experiential approaches of the anthropology of consciousness. The paper concludes by highlighting the potential benefits of a cross-pollination of psychotherapeutic and anthropological research on the paranormal.     

ACT in Context: An Exploration of Experiential Acceptance

Experiential acceptance, which involves “having,” or “allowing” private experiences, has recently gained much attention in the cognitive-behavioral literature. Acceptance, however, may be considered a common factor among psychotherapeutic traditions. The purposes of this paper are to examine the historical roots of acceptance and to discuss the forms of and theoretical rationales for which the concept of acceptance has been recently introduced into the cognitive-behavioral literature, with an emphasis on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT; Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 1999). It is hoped that clarification of the theoretical basis underlying acceptance-based approaches, as well as a comparison of various forms of psychotherapy with regard to their emphasis on acceptance, will promote heightened understanding and stimulate more rigorous exploration of treatment efficacy.     

The psychotherapy of parenthood: towards a formulation and valuation of concurrent work with parents

This paper explores the process and value of concurrent work with parents when their child is being treated in individual psychotherapy. The position taken is that psychoanalytic understanding generally and the specific formulations presented in this paper have a broader applicability in other aspects and approaches in child and adolescent mental health practice. The central issues are the interweaving of knowledge of family processes, child development and psychopathology, and the uses that can be made of an understanding of transference and countertransference. A particular formulation is presented in relation to aspects of the work that constitute ‘child guidance’ and those that may be considered as ‘psychotherapeutic’ in relation to parental psychopathology. We have coined the term ‘the psychotherapy of parenthood’ to give this work the status it deserves and to define a boundary within which to explore the areas and levels of this complex work. Some practice and training implications are considered.     

Elective mutism in children: A family systems approach

Abstract

Elective mutism in children is a relatively rare symptom which is more prevalent in the kindergarten population and has a higher incidence among immigrant families. Treatment strategies for this silent symptom include speech therapy, behavior modification, psychoanalytic, psychotherapeutic, family systems and a combination of these approaches. This paper reviews the types of elective mutism and proposes common characteristics of elective mutists' families. The potential for a redefinition of the term “elective mutism” is examined. It is concluded that family dynamics are an integral part of the elective mutism problem and need to be considered in a comprehensive treatment plan.     

Entwicklungstendenzen psychotherapeutischer Praxis und Forschung

This review presents an analysis of articles in the journal “Psychotherapeut” during the years 2000 and 2001 with the focus on new efforts in the field of psychotherapeutic practice and research. The main topics of the journal are the presentation of new therapeutic approaches, some of them integrating different theoretical orientations, and the emphasis on the therapeutic relationship as a specific contribution to the process and the results of psychotherapy. In addition, this article presents a survey of the various subjects in psychotherapeutic research including a) the application and testing of new questionnaires to measure the effectiveness and the process of psychotherapy and b) research in the epidemiology of selected forms of stress, their consequences and lasting effects.     

Sociopolitical Enactments as Arenas of Mutual Vulnerability: Psychotherapeutic Experiences During the War Between Israel and Gaza in the Summer of 2014

The understanding that sociopolitical, cultural, and socioeconomic spheres always play a part in psychotherapeutic endeavors forms a central aspect of the relational premise. Nevertheless, the literature rarely relates to psychotherapeutic interactions in which patient–therapist exchanges involve sociopolitical disputes or discussions. The main thesis of this paper suggests that the sociopolitical context in which the psychotherapeutic process takes place tend to serve as an arena of mutual vulnerability (Aron & Starr, 2013) between patient and therapist out of which Sociopolitical Enactments characterized by a curative potential tend to emerge, especially during times of war and horror. Two very different Sociopolitical Enactments that took place with patients in Tel Aviv during the war between Israel and Gaza in August 2014 are presented, followed by a literature review and conceptualization of Sociopolitical Enactments as arenas of mutual vulnerability that explicitly or implicitly facilitate working through processes of traumatic self-states, challenge binaries, and open up ways for inquiring power relations in the therapeutic alliance and beyond.     

Attitude changes in alcoholics - demonstrated in phasic course of treatment]

The constant change in attitude to personal "alcohol problems" of patients treated on an inpatient or out patient basis is described with reference to the phasic course of treatment and the deviations therefrom. It is essential that this be taken into account in both group and individual therapy, more especially as this will lead to favorable psychagogic and psychotherapeutic approaches.     

Humanness: A Therapeutic Variable

Since attempts by adherents to various psychotherapeutic orientations have failed to demonstrate the efficacy of any one of them, this paper tries to explicate the single variable—humanness—that seems to underlie all therapeutic approaches, and may account for the positive results obtained by all approaches. Many investigators have emphasized the importance of a positive relationship as a factor in counseling; but an influential force, behavior modification therapy, has attempted to once again place the role of technique in the spotlight. Their results have not been striking. A second aim, therefore, of this paper is to offer a critique of this position in the light of humanistic and research considerations. The implications of a technique-oriented therapeutic approach are also discussed. A plea is entered for emphasis being placed on, and an investigation of, the role of humanness as the most important variable in the counseling process.     

Single session and walk‐in psychotherapy: A descriptive account of the literature

Over the last several decades single session psychotherapy has become a mainstream psychotherapeutic approach. A steadily increasing demand for psychotherapeutic services and a continuous reduction in mental health care resources worldwide are both largely responsible for this development. This paper describes single session psychotherapy and provides a brief review of the relevant literature. Single session psychotherapy delivered in walk‐in settings is also discussed. Therapists who are unfamiliar with single session psychotherapy will find that this paper provides a concise introduction to the essential processes and outcomes of this psychotherapeutic approach.     

DIMENSIONS OF INTERSUBJECTIVITY IN MAHĀYĀNA-BUDDHISM AND RELATIONAL PSYCHOANALYSIS

Buddhism has become one of the main dialogue partners for different psychotherapeutic approaches. As a psychological ethical system, it offers structural elements that are compatible with psychotherapeutic theory and practice. A main concept in Mahāyāna-Buddhism and postmodern psychoanalysis is intersubjectivity. In relational psychoanalysis the individual is analysed within a matrix of relationships that turn out to be the central power in her/his psychological development. By realising why one has become the present individual and how personal development is connected with relationships, the freedom to choose and create a life that is independent from inner restrictions should be strengthened. In Mahāyāna-Buddhism, intersubjectivity is the result of an understanding of all phenomena as being in interdependent connection. Human beings are a collection of different phenomena and in constant interchange with everything else. Personal happiness and freedom from suffering depends on how this interchange can be realised in experience. The article focuses on the philosophical psychological fundaments in both approaches and emphasises clarification of to what the term ‘intersubjectivity’ exactly refers. This clarification is essential for the current dialogues, as well as further perspectives in this interdisciplinary field.     

Sind Psychotherapeuten heimliche Evaluatoren?

Evaluation and psychotherapy share a variety of common features. Both concepts embrace a wide variety of models and applications and are frequently met with opposition and scepticism. A more detailed comparison indicates the close relation between evaluation and psychotherapy and gives authority to the stance that psychotherapists’ resistance to evaluation is futile. The rising demands on psychotherapists for accountability and evidence of what works have increased the practical, academic, and political importance of developing appropriate evaluation approaches. This paper argues that psychotherapists, in their own interest, need to play an increasingly active role in developing useful methods, objectives, and indicators with respect to the evaluation of psychotherapeutic processes.     

Finding One’s Voice: Psychotherapy for Dissociative Motor Disorders in the Indian Context

Dissociation is a prevalent disorder in India, however there is a lack of evidence-based psychological interventions worldwide. The present paper includes two case studies of dissociative motor disorder with onset in the perinatal period, seeking treatment in the Indian tertiary mental health set-up. Both cases presented with disabling symptoms of paraparesis, and mutism in one. The case series discusses similarities in presentation, socio-cultural contexts, and the psychotherapeutic approach. The psychotherapy process is discussed in detail, with a focus on challenges encountered, therapist reflections and supervision. Insights from treatment are presented, including the melding of approaches, and sensitivity of interventions to the larger socio-cultural framework.

     

Integrative Therapie von narzisstisch gestörten Patienten

The psychotherapy of patients with a narcissistic personality disorder continues to be a psychotherapeutic challenge. There is still no psychotherapeutic program for the treatment of these patients which integrates different psychotherapeutic methods and strategies. Therefore the therapy of narcissistic patients remains difficult and only few psychotherapists voluntarily meet the challenge of treating such patients. In this article an integrative psychotherapeutic concept for the treatment of narcissistic patients using psychotherapeutic methods of different psychotherapeutic schools is presented. This integrative concept includes basic strategies such as working with the therapeutic alliance, schema work and activation of resources. On the other hand specific modules for different core symptoms of these patients are proposed. With this article the authors hope to contribute to a new conceptualization of the psychotherapy of narcissistic patients.