Techniques of Brief Psychotherapy

This work provides a summary and discussion of current trends in brief dynamic therapy. The author begins with a background history and goes on to examine the elements common to all forms of psychoanalytic brief psychotherapy, such as the selection of patients, the focus of treatment, the activity of the therapist, the early interpretation of transference and the setting of a time-frame. A chapter is devoted to each of the contemporary approaches of Malan, Davanloo, Mann, Sifneos and Wolberg. Although differences are explored, a consensus is also revealed in terms of selection of patients, the importance of focus and the activity of the therapist. The author addresses problems that arise in teaching brief psychotherapy and explains why it is the chosen treatment for many patients. He argues that although brief psychotherapy was developed in response to the need to treat large numbers of patients in clinic settings, it can also be effective for longstanding and severe complaints, and for some patients can be the treatment of choice.