[Psychotherapeutic counselling - theory and technique (author's transl)]

The theory of psychotherapeutic counselling is based on the assumption that human behavior is a dialectic process between progression and regression. The goal of progression is autonomy, the constructive and meaningful handling of things and people. The goal of regression is being cared for, the experience of being accepted and protected. Active attempts at learning lead to progressive goals, needs and passive movements lead to regressive goals. Attempts at learning are put under pressure, protection-seeking movements are manipulated and fixed. Insight, confrontation and projects are the means of psychotherapeutic counselling. Insight helps to understand situations and interactions which cause illness and to detect symptomatic forms of behavior. Both the external and the internal conditions of behavior have to be cleared up. Confrontation interpretes the present relationship and provides the learning process with sample experiences. Projects are designs of behavior conceived during counselling, systematically tried out outside the counselling session. The goal of psychotherapeutic counselling is to enable the patient to change critically the situation and the self.