The masochistic personality organization: Dynamic,etiological, and psychotherapeutic factors

Individuals with a masochistic personality are both very common and very frustrating to work with in psychotherapy. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the reader to this complex personality style by discussing a brief history of the term, its dynamics, etiology, and techniques in psychotherapy. The paper combines theoretical material from the literature with personal clinical observations and specific techniques for psychotherapy with these individuals.