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Form and structure and their function in psychotherapy.
1Austen Riggs Center, Stockbridge, MA 01262.
American Journal of Psychotherapy
|July 1, 1992
Summary
Psychotherapy is a creative process. Focusing on form and structure in therapy, like in the arts, fosters personality growth and well-being, while neglecting it can be detrimental.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychotherapy Research
- Creative Studies
Background:
- Psychotherapy shares creative determinants with arts and sciences.
- Focus on form and structure is key to generating valuable creations in various fields.
Observation:
- Therapists' attention to formal elements (sequences, presentation style, phases) shapes therapeutic outcomes.
- A poet's focus on rhyme generated emotional tension, analogous to personality change in therapy.
Findings:
- Therapist inattention to patient's initial themes (encounter) and interactional connections (growth) led to a destructive suicidal threat (separation).
- Therapists' focus on the overall structure of psychotherapy facilitates creative growth and patient welfare.
Implications:
- Maintaining the structural integrity of psychotherapy is crucial for positive patient outcomes.
- Both patients and therapists must attend to the form and structure of the therapeutic process to foster growth and welfare.