Schizophrenia and the Psychotherapeutic Field

“Don’t step on Tony!” The importance of symptoms when working with psychosis.

“…Despite Freud’s (1958) emphasis on the significance of meaning in psychotic symptoms, he nonetheless believed that psychotic individuals are not suitable for psychoanalysis, because they do not develop transference. Freud’s stand on psychoanalytic psychotherapy with psychosis did not prevent many psychoanalysts (e.g., Arieti, 1974; Benedetti, 1987; Bion, 1967; Eigen, 1986; Fromm-Reichmann, 1960; Karon & VandenBos, 1981; Lucas, 2009; Podvoll, 2003; Searles, 1965; Sullivan, 1962; Will, 1968) to advance our knowledge of the treatment of psychosis. However, in the current era of managed care and psychopharmacology, psychodynamic treatment of psychosis is unfortunately rare and often deemed inappropriate.…”