Mindblown: A Blog about Philosophy
Self-Reflective Function in ISTDP
Every kind of therapy tries to help the patient observe her inner life more accurately. Freud referred to this as
“I Don’t Know”
A colleague asked, “If I ask someone how they feel and they say, ‘I don’t know,’ and they are just
Treating Panic Attacks: How do we Understand Dizziness?
Patients can experience severe levels of anxiety in many forms. The fragile patient may experience anxiety discharged into the parasympathetic
How do I know if the Patient is Fragile and Projecting his Will or Highly Resistant and Engaging in a Transference Resistance?
If the patient is fragile and projecting his will onto the therapist, his anxiety will be discharged in cognitive/perceptual disruption.
How Do I know when to Ask about Feelings toward the Therapist?
It’s so easy to ask the patient about feelings toward parents in the past and spouses in the present. But
What About Jealousy?
“Hi Jon, I wonder what thoughts you have on jealousy. I have had some patients whose close relationships was very
Compliance: Why it’s Not a Good Thing
How can we tell if a patient is compliant? First of all, compliance is a defense. The patient is complying
Denial Through Fantasy
One of the most common forms of denial occurs when the patient has trouble facing reality, denies it, and relates
Working with Projection
What do we mean by projection? Projection occurs when we attribute to someone else a feeling, thought, or impulse that
Exploring Feelings Toward the Therapist
When do we explore feelings toward the therapist? For most of us who were initially trained in other models of
Got any book recommendations?