I, Me, You &amp; Us: can a psychodynamic model provide a relational perspective on psychosis?

Stephenson, Justin

doi:10.1080/02668734.2018.1487464

Cited by 1 publication

(2 citation statements)

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“…Often, the psychotic process is a function of a failure in the development of the self (Liotti, 1999). The importance of including the phenomenon of subjectivity in thinking about and working with patients who suffer from psychosis is evident in psychoanalytic literature (Brazil, 1988; Brown, 2018; Gorney, 1978; Leader, 2011; Stephenson, 2018). ‘Subjectivity’ is a theoretical concept that has profound depth and complexity, as is illustrated in Mari Ruti's (2012) The Singularity of Being .…”

Section: Paranoid Delusions and Disturbed Subjectivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There are many factors that contribute to fractures in subjectivity, and the development of psychosis is a complex process made up of many parts (De Masi, 2015; Bollas, 2015; Jakes, 2018; Kohut, 1977; Schafer, 2011). I use this specific collection of theoretical understandings of psychosis as an example of an approach that aids the psychotherapist in establishing an awareness and understanding of the psychotic patient's subjectivity (Stephenson, 2018).…”

Section: Paranoid Delusions Directed At the Psychotherapistmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Feared Therapist: On Being Part of the Psychotic Patient's Paranoid Delusion

Saayman¹

2020

Brit J Psychotherapy

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Psychosis can be understood as, in part, a disorder of the self. The various factors that contribute to the development of psychosis and the consequences of psychotic symptoms potentially impede the development of the patient's subjectivity, and can lead to a complete breakdown of the patient's ability to accurately represent their subjective experiences. The development of paranoid delusions partially functions to compensate for the patient's inability to make sense of their subjective experiences in relation to an acknowledged other, in this case the psychotherapist. When the patient confronts the psychotherapist with their paranoid delusion and implicates the psychotherapist as a dangerous object, the psychotherapist is potentially exposed to a complex and disturbing dynamic where their own subjectivity may be drawn into question. This paper aims to explore the psychotherapist's experiences of this dynamic in a clinical setting by making use of a composite narrative of a psychotic patient with paranoid delusions that implicate the psychotherapist. The psychotherapist's experiences are discussed via the following three themes: constructing the patient's subjectivity; the psychotherapist's use of their own experiences; and holding the balance between opposing realities.

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Section: Paranoid Delusions and Disturbed Subjectivitymentioning

confidence: 99%