Practice Of Supportive Psychotherapy

By David S. Werman

Book Overview

First published in 1989. This volume reflects the extensive experience of a clinician-educator in psychiatry and psychoanalysis. Dr. Werman presents a balanced, comprehensive, detailed, nondoctrinaire, and warm human treatment of the subject. He makes it clear that, while supportive psychotherapy can and should be based on psychodynamic understanding of patients, the technical principles that guide application of such understanding in supportive treatment are quite different from those guiding insight oriented therapy. Careful reflection upon the text and its many clinical examples will suggest that good supportive psychotherapy is extremely difficult and demanding of special skills.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0876303653
• ISBN13: 9780876303658
• Release Date: September 1988
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 206 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.1" x 6.2" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Insights from an Experienced Clinician

From front jacket: "..in this clinically rich volume, Dr. Werman shows the function of supportive psychotherapy as a well-defined form of psychotherapy that represents a logical application of basic psychoanalytic principles to a particular class of patients whose characteristics and needs can be clearly identified. The first chapter presents a clear differentiation between supportive and insight-oriented psychotherapy in terms of patients, goals and techniques. Next, the evaluation of patients for therapy is described at length because it is the cornerstone of effective treatment. Following chapters deal with goals of treatment, qualifications of the therapist and his or her behavior in the treatment hour, and basic strategies and tactics of supportive psychotherapy. Special attention is directed to questions of transference, countertransference and resistance in this mode of treatment. In the next five chapters, Dr. Werman deals with typical situations occurring during supportive psychotherapy and the tactical techniques that may be used to deal with them. Among the topics discussed here are the distortions of reality, independence, impulsive behavior and passivity, the silent patient, and the use of the dream. The final chapters deal with the change from insight to supportive psychotherapy, auxiliary therapeutic measures outside the therapy hour, and problems related to termination of treatment. The principles and techniques presented in this volume - with a wealth of clinical examples - will provide a richly rewarding and effective addition to the armamentarium of every psychotherapist."