About this item
Highlights
- Psychotherapy is an adventure into uncharted territory--the landscape of the mind.
- Author(s): Janet Lee Bachant
- 234 Pages
- Psychology, Movements
Description
Book Synopsis
Psychotherapy is an adventure into uncharted territory--the landscape of the mind. As therapists, beginning a
treatment takes us on a journey into the unmapped interior of a person's soul. We do not know what awesome vistas, formidable obstacles and strange inhabitants we will encounter. But we do know that the exploration of the self is the path to finding answers to some of life's greatest personal mysteries such as How did I become the person I am? How can I address the mystery of my problems in living? What do I really want? Who am I? Psychodynamic treatment is akin to the great voyages of discovery in which significant danger are faced but the rewards of discovery outweigh the difficulties of the journey (Levin, 2017). On all such encounters, each participant has a necessary role to play as they together embark on an adventure that has no equal.
Uncovering complex mental processes (many of which are unconscious) in the context of an ongoing, intimate relationship is the core of psychodynamic therapy. It demands intellectual understanding, emotional connectedness and, ideally, a sense of humor to help keep things in perspective. Doing psychotherapy tests patient and therapist alike, asking them both to deal with fears, tensions, losses, limitations, exposure and maintaining a focus on the growing edge of development through the inevitable setbacks and disappointments. But it also provides an arena for authentic relatedness and a commitment to the collaborative work of knowing a person's internal life. The potential for understanding generated by psychotherapy is unrivaled. Shedler (2010) reports the recurring finding that "the benefits of psychodynamic therapy not only endure but increase with time" in contrast to non-dynamic therapies whose gains decay over time (p. 102-103). In the words of students who have captured the essence succinctly: "It goes deeper." "It goes to the heart."
The primary function of this book is to help the reader begin a voyage of discovery. While everyone's path will be
different, there are steps each of us can take to understand the minds of others and thereby to organize our own as therapists. The techniques developed in this book focus primarily on the ordinary processes of mental organization, processes that are determined by the interaction of biological, emotional and interpersonal factors during the child's early years. In addition to addressing how normal development informs psychodynamic technique, this book also highlights the long-term effects of traumatic emotional experiences on the child's mental functioning.
Review Quotes
"This is a gem of a book on psychodynamic therapy. As a master clinician and teacher, Dr. Bachant provides us with a wonderful theoretical elaboration on core therapeutic/technique issues and an abundance of riveting and easy to understand case material. It will be an important reference for a wide range of clinicians."
--M. SAGMAN KAYATEKIN, MD, Medical Director, Professionals Program, The Menninger Clinic; Assoc. Professor of Psychiatry, Menninger Clinic and Baylor College of Medicine
"Dr. Bachant's contribution to understanding psychodynamic technique and theory has been long awaited. From the outset, she takes the reader on an adventure that brings a richness to understanding psychodynamic psychotherapy. This book is for new learners as well as those who teach, and offers consolidation of theory and practice for the senior clinician as well."
--PAULA ELLMAN, PHD, Training & Supervising Analyst, Contemporary Freudian Society & Washington Baltimore Center for Psychoanalysis;
Chair, IPA Commi+ee on Women & Psychoanalysis; Editorial Board, IJP
"Dr. Bachant's current book is an engaging, comprehensive journey into how the mind works and how we can help it heal. Her presentation integrates psychodynamic theory and treatment with a focus on the practical steps involved in working with trauma. Written for many levels of clinical experience, she emphases the positive impact of adversity--facilitating the development of adaptive modes of being, and the importance of valuing the protective and proactive aspects of defense."
--MARSHA WINEBURGH, DSW, LCSW-R, President, Advanced Clinical Education Foundation of NY State Society for Clinical Social Work