Practicing Psychotherapy: A Casebook

by Michael Franz Basch

How can one engage the hostile or the frightened patient or the patient incapacitated by shame or by physical illness? How can a clinician focus a therapy that threatens to wander indefinitely and When and how should one use short-term therapy?Even experienced, talented therapists frequently find themselves stymied, often for prolonged periods of time, by problems commonly encountered in an office-based practice. Here, along with detailed case examples, is a hands-on demonstration of how to deal with such complex, at times seemingly intractable, problems.Basch's technique is a psychodynamic approach that also embraces cognitive and behavioral therapy. It correlates what is heard and seen in the therapist's consulting room with our knowledge of normal infant and child development. This book shows how Basch's developmental method can be used even in short-term therapy to deal with complex problems. The book also includes extensive examples of the supervisory process, demonstrating how to make the best use of this model for therapy, both as supervisor and supervisee.Basch's first book, Doing Psychotherapy , has become a standard introductory text and his second book, Understanding The Science Behind the Art , has gained widespread support and garnered much acclaim. Building on the principles elaborated in his previous books, this eminently practical new book takes readers to a new level of understanding.

Genres: Psychology

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 28, 1968

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

My therapist let me borrow his copy of this book, and as an aspiring psychologist myself, I enjoyed learning about Basch's developmental method and how he applies it to practice and supervision. The first concept that stood out to me centered on the developmental spiral of decisions, behavior, competence, and self-esteem. Basch shows how practitioners can enter the cycle at different points to help clients improve themselves and undo negative patterns. He also raises the idea of every individual having six sectors of development (attachment, psychosexuality, autonomy, creativity, affect/cognition, and other) and how each of those areas develops or regresses over time. Basch integrates these core ideas and applies them to several case studies he has encountered, exemplifying how theory can play out in practice to the benefit of both the practitioner and the client.

Overall, a solid read I would recommend to those interested in psychotherapy, in particular those with a developmental, psychodynamic, or cognitive-behavioral learning. I also appreciated Basch's perspective on the kinship/idealization/mirroring burgeoning of the therapeutic relationship, and I look forward to applying his ideas to my future work.