Long-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: A Basic Text

by Glen O. Gabbard

The thirst to understand, to “know thyself,” is as strong as ever--despite managed care's demands, society's “quick fix” mentality, and psychopharmacology's remarkable progress--and goes a long way toward explaining the continued popularity of long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy. The first of five volumes in the groundbreaking Core Competencies in Psychotherapy series, this exceptionally practical text by a renowned expert introduces students and professionals to the basic principles of long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy, focusing on long-term dynamic work with adults in individual therapy. Unlike other texts, this concise yet comprehensive volume • Takes difficult theoretical concepts and makes them accessible and practical for psychotherapists who want to master long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy• Grows directly from the author's teaching experience with trainees and their questions and concerns and is thus directly linked to the types of learning problems encountered by the students who will use this book• Uses clinical vignettes to show how to apply the key principles of psychodynamic theory to difficult clinical cases and how to grapple with the dilemmas that often arise in psychotherapeutic work• Provides both residents and training directors with a guide to achieving core competency in this field, as mandated by the Residency Review Committee for Psychiatry. The author's approach reflects his personal therapeutic style--developed over 25 years of practice--and draws from several theoretical models, illustrating the pluralism in the field today and his own synthesis of those diverse conceptual frameworks. Beginning with a review of basic psychodynamic principles, the author then discusses how to assess patients, write a formulation, and think about indications and contraindications for long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy. In additional chapters, the author focuses on major issues such as starting the therapy, the use of interventions, goals and therapeutic action, ways to work with resistance, countertransference, the use of fantasies and dreams, and termination of therapy. The last two chapters cover the optimal use of supervision and how to measure core competency achievement. Though written with the psychiatric resident in mind, this remarkably practical text will appeal to a broad audience of trainees in fields such as psychology, social work, counseling, and nursing. It will also be welcomed by educators and students alike as an invaluable teaching tool that can be “put to work” right away as a powerful adjunct to supervision, classroom teaching, and clinical experience with a variety of patients.

Genres: Psychology, Psychoanalysis, Nonfiction, Psychiatry, Academic

210 pages, Paperback

First published April 4, 2004

Reviews

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my efforts to understand the basics of psychoanalytic psychotherapy, I found the following introductory books especially helpful.

Nancy McWilliams’ Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy describes the psychoanalytic attitude. Every analyst is unique, but there are certain sensibilities that bind analysts, and McWilliams beautifully articulates them in what feels like a love letter to the field. Those new to analysis might initially feel frustrated that she spends little time discussing techniques, but that’s not accidental. Analysis at its core is not a set of techniques but a specific worldview and way of being.

Deborah Luepnitz’s Schopenhauer's Porcupines is a masterfully written collection of short stories. You can’t learn something as complex as psychoanalytic therapy by simply memorizing the techniques. You also need to experience the process. This is why the analytic tradition requires analysts to be analyzed themselves. Reading Luepnitz’s book is obviously not the same thing as undergoing an analysis, but it’s a literary attempt to help us to experience what the process is like. These stories are engaging, funny, heartbreaking, illuminating, frustrating, etc., kind of like analysis.

I especially liked the following two books on technique. Glen Gabbard’s Long-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy succinctly describes the essentials of psychoanalytic theory and the primary techniques. An excellent jumping-off place. Deborah Cabaniss’ Psychodynamic Psychotherapy explains the major techniques in more detail. Cabaniss has the gift of making the complex simple and breaks the analytic process down to memorizable parts, writing about the three choosing principles, the three readiness principles, the three organizing sources, and so on. The more experienced therapist might find these constructions somewhat hokey, but I found them incredibly helpful for learning.

I also benefited tremendously from Leslie Greenberg’s Emotion-Focused Therapy. This is not technically a psychoanalytic text, but as someone with a CBT background wanting to learn analysis, I desperately needed to better understand emotions and how to help clients talk about them. Greenberg, the founder of emotion-focused therapy, writes clearly, as his brain seems to think in outlines, and I found him to be an excellent guide.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Gabbard's straightforward writing style, and his efforts to take the mystery and mothballs out of psychodynamics. This is one textbook I probably will refer to again later, even though psychodynamics is not my thang.

[Vita Mikuličiūtė · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ne tai kad laisvalaikio skaitinys būtų. Iš reikalo skaičiau. Bet kaip privaloma knyga, - tai tikrai nebloga. Pakankamai konkreti ir informatyvi. Ir ne perdaug sausa.

[Monika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bardzo przystępna pozycja dla początkujących psychoterapeutów. Autor cierpliwie wyjaśnia wiele kwestii, można wręcz powiedzieć, że prowadzi czytelnika za rękę przez cały proces, ilustrując go przykładami. Uwzględnione są praktyczne aspekty psychoterapii, które wiele podręczników pomija, takie jak sposób zwracania się do pacjenta, płatności, kontrolowanie czasu. Polecam lekturę kursantom szkół terapii każdego nurtu, nie tylko psychodynamicznego.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best books in my training program. Learned a lot and the book is refreshingly well written. You can read it fast and still understand what’s being said, and that’s a great thing while you’re studying. Not every chapter is as interesting but the majority is. A great book for when you’re studying to be a psychotherapist. Not so much for patients, it’s specifically aimed at therapists.

[Odin · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتاب گابارد مثل یک همراه مطمئن برای درمانگرانی است که می‌خواهند روان‌درمانی پویشی بلندمدت را بهتر بفهمند. کتاب اول مفاهیم پایه مثل ناهشیار، دفاع‌ها و انتقال و انتقال متقابل را توضیح می‌دهد و بعد به چالش‌هایی که در طول درمان ممکن است پیش بیاید می‌پردازد، مثل مقاومت بیمار، اضطراب انتقال یا هیجانات شدید در جلسه. علاوه بر این، نشان می‌دهد چطور شخصیت بیمار و الگوهای تکرارشونده روابطش را تحلیل کنیم. مثال‌های بالینی هم همه چیز را واقعی و ملموس می‌کنند. به طور کلی، این کتاب به درمانگران کمک می‌کند تا فرآیند روان‌درمانی بلندمدت را با درک عمیق و ساختاریافته مدیریت کنند.

[Timothy Derifield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gabbard provides a solid introduction to psychodynamic psychotherapy that has something to offer most novice readers (like me). There were some sections, like those on termination, that will be old news to anyone trained in a clinical MSW or MA in counseling program, but the audience for the book as Gabbard sees it are psychiatric residents seeking training and supervision in a therapeutic paradigm.

I would recommend this book to anyone who already has some background in psychodynamic theory. I think it would be a dull or even imposing read for someone without that background.

[Ian Felton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent overview for understanding the basics of psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Most psychoanalytic authors aim to write to illustrate their intelligence rather than actually guiding people in a straightforward way. There's an unfortunate trend of wanting to sound mystical, dense, or erudite.

Gabbard takes the unusual approach of presenting psychoanalytic treatment as an accessible method for clinicians at any stage in their career.

I would have liked some coverage of enactments, but not a big deal :)

[Sevgi Tüccar-Çelik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Psikodinamik psikoterapiyle ilgilenenler için temel konuları sade ve akıcı bir dille anlatan kapsamlı bir kaynak. Özellikle terapötik süreçlere dair açıklamalar ve vaka örnekleri, kitabı sadece teorik değil, pratik açıdan da faydalı kılıyor. Bu alanda çalışan ya da psikodinamik yaklaşımı öğrenmek isteyenler için iyi bir rehber.

[Iron · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the attempt to write a comprehensive basic text, it sometimes gets a little too basic. Having said that, the book covers most important topics of basic training and excels in simplifying complex psychodynamic ideas and concepts.

[Jasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I *think* I read this book as part of suggested reading in my Masters, however I could be mistaken and it may have been another psychodynamic text. If it is the one I am thinking of, I whipped through it in several days and was hooked. Fascinating, inspiring. Loved it.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent summary of important psychodynamic concepts.

[Gaia Taffarello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Letto per un esame più e più volte, descrive in modo chiaro e scorrevole i punti principali della teoria e soprattutto della pratica psicoterapeutica

[Mel Umby]

Yes I’m counting this toward my yearly reading goal

[Mona · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great overview into the basics of psychodynamic psychotherapy, its main components & challenges it presents to the therapist. Psychodynamic concepts can often seem too abstract & disconnected from reality, thus the use of examples as in this book, it was very useful to understand theory.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A phenomenal introductory or review text on the basic tenents of psychodynamic therapy. It has me wanting to re-read some of the Kernberg I read earlier in my training!

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series was developed in response to the ACGME adding core competencies in psychothreapy to psychiatry residencyies, and is the shortest book out there that explains the process clearly

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

concise and easy to read.

[Curt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Inspiring. Concise.

[Trevor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise round up of the practice of psychodynamic psychotherapy.

[Lisa]

countertransference