Brief Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: A Review and Illustrative Case Vignette

In this fictional case vignette, the authors illustrate the inclusive criteria and supportive-interruptive continuum techniques utilized in brief psychodynamic therapy (BPT), a therapeutic strategy designed to shorten psychotherapy from months to weeks in certain types of patients. The authors provide examples of a fictional dialogue between a young adult patient with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and ruminating thoughts and her therapist to demonstrate how the therapeutic techniques of BPT (interpretation, confrontation, clarification, encouragement to elaborate, empathic validation, advice and praise, and affirmation) can be used in clinical practice. Each example dialogue is followed by a brief practice point discussion reviewing the technique(s) used. In addition to giving patients insight into their conflicts so that they can access appropriate coping skills, BPT techniques can also reveal important information about the patient to the clinician that might enhance treatment outcomes-in this case, undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which was causing significant stress to the patient. This revelation subsequently led to a comorbid diagnosis of OCD, which was managed with appropriate pharmacotherapy, enhancing treatment outcomes for the patient. BPT continues to show promise in treating a wide variety of psychiatric conditions due to its time efficiency and effectiveness. Clinicians should note that adhering to the recommended patient selection criteria for BPT is imperative for good outcomes. Additional data are needed to assess what specific diagnoses are indicated for optimal results using this modality, as well as its long-term outcomes.