Posted by DAisym on July 18, 2008, at 14:33:00
In reply to Re: Question on Therapy Types (long/sorry) » Looney Tunes, posted by Lemonaide on July 18, 2008, at 8:34:15
I think we need to separate out transference from the relationship. I agree that there are many therapies that don't work with the transference...or even believe in the concept of transference per say. Psychoanalysis is on one end of the spectrum that says everything the client feels about their therapist is from a past relationship but in psychodynamic work, there is more of a belief in a cocreated relationship. The feelings are "real" but might be created out of the client's organizing principles - expectations. Relationship "habits" my therapist calls them.
As far as being "out of favor" I think we need to be really careful about research around psychological techniques or philosophies. CBT is more easily replicated and is a lot shorter, therefore cheaper, and insurance companies love that. How can you study, much less replicate, something that has so many variables? Someone else might have suffered the same trauma I have, but did they have the same family mix, the same kind of school experience, etc? So much of this comes from client report - "I feel better."
I've been studying Journal therapy recently. The studies here show that writing about your deepest, darkest feelings for 20 minutes, four days straight, improve function, feelings and health. The major question still to be answered is "why?" But the science is good - so do we just accept that it works? And there is no relationship factor here.
I went to a recent lecture about Freud. I loved two statements: Freud did not do as he said - he got very involved with his patients. He lamanted when they didn't fall in love with him. And Freud wasn't all wrong. He discovered that telling a secret was like draining a wound and that secrets have a way of telling on themselves - they slip out here and there.
I have been asking myself two questions lately: If it feels good, does that mean the therapy is working? And if it doesn't feel at least a little good, will anyone stay with it long enough to let it work?
poster:DAisym
thread:840155
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20080709/msgs/840506.html