Personal writings in psychotherapy

The author suggests that written materials can be used within a psychoanalytic psychotherapy. They are particularly valuable as a tool for sustaining communication when a spoken dialogue falters, as, for example, in the treatment of patients with marked schizoid tendencies. In the past, written materials have often been regarded as a resistance to a verbal therapy. The article begins with a letter Freud wrote to the American poet H. D. Freud tells H.D. that he has read her poems in order to "get a glimpse of her personality" before starting her analysis. Five clinical examples are presented demonstrating the usefulness of writings in psychotherapy. The patients are all young women with borderline and schizoid features. The article concludes with a discussion describing a variety of uses for writings in psychotherapy. Since therapist reading time is usually given without a fee, the occasional gift of time may be particularly valuable.