Technique II: The Process of Psychotherapy

Elizabeth Horwitz, M.D.  

PTY-A - 1st Year
Spring 07                                                            

This course will give students the opportunity, now that they have had an introduction to technical concepts in Technique I, and have had more of their own experience doing psychotherapy, to more actively engage in thinking about and discussing aspects of psychotherapeutic technique. Much of the class will be devoted to clinical examples designed to illustrate the practical aspects of technique including how psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapists set a frame, assess patients, listen and intervene during sessions, handle transference and countertransference and work with dreams.

I. Initial Contact
Halpert, E.  (1992) Structuring the Psychotherapeutic Situation.  Psychotherapy: The Analytic Approach. ed. Aronson, M. and Scharfman, M., Aronson.  pp. 41-52.

Goldstein, W.  (1998) The Initial Interview.  pp. 37-44.  Arrangements. pp. 45-51.  A Primer for Beginning Psychotherapy.

II          Assessment
Goldstein, W. (1998) The Patients.   A Primer for Beginning Psychotherapy.  pp. 1-10.

Scharfman, M. (1992) The Clinical Assessment of Patients.  Psychotherapy: The Analytic Approach.  ed. Aronson, M. and Scharfman, M., Aronson.  pp. 21-39.

III        General Approach: AThe Expressive - Supportive Continuum@
Gabbard, G. (1994) Individual Psychotherapy. Psychodynamic Psychiatry in Clinical Practice. American Psychiatric Press.  pp. 89-112.

Dewald, P. (1969) The Therapeutic Process: The Patient=s Role. Psychotherapy: A Dynamic Approach.  pp. 156-172.

IV        Listening and Intervening - Overview
Dewald, P. (1969) The Therapeutic Process: The Therapist=s Role@ Psychotherapy: A Dynamic Approach.  pp. 179-195.

Chalfin, R. (1992) The Nature of Interpretation. Psychotherapy: The Analytic Approach. pp. 85-101.

V.         Listening and Intervening - Examples of Approaches
qArlow, J. (1995) Stilted Listening: Psychoanalysis as Discourse.  Psa. Q. Vol. LXIV.  pp. 215-233.

*Davison, W., Pray, M. and Bristol, C.  (1990) Mutative Interpretation and Close Process Monitoring in a Study of Psychoanalytic.  Psa. Q.  Vol. LIX, pp. 599-628.

VI.      Managing the Transference
Scharfman, M. (1992) The Therapeutic Relationship and the Role of the Transference.  Psychotherapy: The Analytic Approach.  pp. 53-70.

Dewald, P. (1964) Transference.  Psychotherapy: A Dynamic Approach.  Basic Books.   pp. 196-223. 

VII.     Managing the Countertransference  
Glenn, J. (1992) Empathy, Countertransference and Other Emotional Reactions of the Therapist.  Psychotherapy: The Analytic Approach.  pp. 73-83.

VIII.    Boundary Issues
*Gabbard, G. (1995) History of Boundary Violations.  JAPA.  43:1115-1136.

*Celenza, A. & Gabbard, G. (2003) Analysts Who Commit Sexual Boundary Violations.  J.A.P.A. 51/2, pp. 617-636.    

IX.       The Use of Dreams in Psychotherapy
*Greenson, R. (1970) The Exceptional Position of the Dream in Psychoanalysis.  Psa. Q. 39:519-549.

*Goldberger, M. (1989) On the Analysis of Defenses in Dreams.  Psa. Q. 58:396-418.

(Optional) Newman, D. (1992) Dreams and Acting Out.  Psychotherapy: The Analytic Approach.  pp. 147-162.

X.        Other Technical Issues
Kessler, R. (1992) Medication and Psychotherapy.  Psychotherapy: The Analytic Approach.  pp. 163-182.