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Dangerous transitions and the traumatized adolescent.
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois College of Medicine, USA.
American Journal of Psychoanalysis
|July 10, 2001
Summary
Adolescents facing dangerous transitions due to a lack of nurturing environments can be treated psychoanalytically. Establishing a holding environment is key for healing these developmental challenges.
Area of Science:
- Psychoanalytic developmental psychology
- Adolescent psychology
Background:
- Adolescence involves creating transitional spaces for internal and external adaptation.
- Lack of a nurturing matrix renders this transition dangerous for adolescents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore psychoanalytic treatment for adolescents with nonfunctional transitional spaces.
- To highlight the role of the analyst in establishing a holding environment.
Main Methods:
- Utilizes psychoanalytic theories, primarily Winnicott's.
- Illustrates arguments with clinical case material.
Main Results:
- Traumatized adolescents with nonfunctional transitional spaces can benefit from psychoanalytic treatment.
- Establishing a holding environment is a crucial therapeutic transference.
Conclusions:
- Psychoanalytic therapy can successfully treat adolescents experiencing developmental disruptions.
- Therapeutic focus shifts towards the holding environment over interpretation of inner conflicts.