Empathie und Skepsis im psychoanalytischen Prozess

Besuch bei Bion. Albert Mason, ein Supervisand und Kollege von Wilfred Bion, berichtet in einem Aufsatz über >>Bion und die binokulare Sichtweise<< von seiner ersten Supervisionsstunde: >>Mein allererster Kontakt mit Bion war in London im Jahr 1960, als er einen meiner Ausbildungsfälle supervidierte. Zu meiner großen Überraschung begann der fragliche Patient, ein junger Mann mit 23 Jahren, damit, dass er direkt zur Couch ging, sich niederlegte und ohne Einleitung sagte: >Ich wachte mitten in der Nacht auf, stand auf, und schaltete das Licht an, um zu sehen, ob ich im Bett lag oder nicht.< Ich war in Sorge, dass dieser Fall als Ausbildungsfall als ungeeignet erachtet würde, und wiederholte angespannt den ersten Satz des Patienten<< (Mason, 2000, S. 983)

The self in prejudice

Abstract: The self as a psychological construct, and the self in relation to the other has been discussed in psychological and sociological literature for decades, but not much attention has been given to the psychological development of the self in relation to the social construction of prejudice. The primary aim of this article is to explore the self in prejudice and thus the psychological processes involved in the development of self within the social context. Consequently, the aim is to explore the self in the construction and expression of prejudice from both a social and psychological approach, and to explain selfhood influences at the individual, group and community levels. I use the conceptual framework of Kohut’s self psychology as a lens to present the development of the self and thus the idea of the development of the self in relation to the other. In such exploration of self in prejudice, I present some of my ideas which include prejudice as an outcome of self-definition in the context of the other, as well as linking self in prejudice and group dynamics to attachment theory and the notion of “selfgroup’ in terms of overidentification with the in-group. While the social and the psychological in terms of the development of the self cannot be separated, I have therefore attempted to merge at some point the two bodies of thought in relation to the self in prejudice

Therapy with siblings in reorganizing families

The loss of parenting figures through death, divorce, or other kinds of separation often leaves children without consistent parental support and with increased fears of abandonment. In the natural cycle, siblings can maintain almost lifelong relationships and therefore are in a position to offer each other a significant support system over an extended period of time. We have found that work with sibling subgroups can help children to resolve their individual and shared conflicts as well as to remove interferences to mutually supportive relationships. Illustrative cases are presented and treatment guidelines offered.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44291/1/10591_2004_Article_BF00927383.pd

Religion and Self: Notions from a Cultural Psychological Perspective

After a brief introduction of a cultural psychological perspective, this paper turns to the concept of self. The paper proposes to conceive of that reality to which the concepts of self refer as a narrative, employing especially autobiographies and other ego-documents in empirical exploration. After discussing some psychological theories about “self,” the paper points out that they may well be applied in research on personal religiosity

The role of empathy in psychoanalytic psychotherapy: A historical exploration

Empathy is one of the most consistent outcome predictors in contemporary psychotherapy research. The function of empathy is particularly important for the development of a positive therapeutic relationship: patients report positive therapeutic experiences when they feel understood, safe, and able to disclose personal information to their therapists. Despite its clear significance in the consulting room and psychotherapy research, there is no single, consensual definition of empathy. This can be accounted by the complex and multi-faceted nature of empathy, as well as the ambiguous and conflicting literature surrounding it. This paper provides a historical exploration of empathy and its impact on the therapeutic relationship across the most influential psychoanalytic psychotherapies: classic psychoanalysis, person-centered therapy and self-psychology. By comparing the three clinical schools of thought, the paper identifies significant differences in the function of transference and therapist’s role. Then, drawing on the different clinical uses of empathy, the paper argues that the earlier uses of empathy (most notably through Jaspers’ and Freud’s writings) are limited to its epistemological (intellectual or cognitive) features, whilst person-centered and self-psychology therapies capitalise on its affective qualities. Finally, the paper provides a rationale for further study of the overarching features of empathy in contemporary psychotherapy research

Imagining worse than reality: comparing beliefs and intentions between disaster evacuees and survey respondents

We often credit disasters, and their coverage in the media, with changes in the public perception of risk associated with low-probability, high-consequence events (LPHCs). With a change in perceptions, we also expect changes in beliefs, preferences, and behaviors. Do beliefs and behaviors change in different ways for people who live through these LPHC critical events, as opposed to people who observe them? This study compares hypothetical hurricanes with actual hurricane effects in a survey quasi-experiment. Findings indicate that hypothetical disasters induce stronger reactions than those experienced in the natural world, as Hurricane Katrina bystanders imagine themselves incurring much higher damages, and being much less likely to return to live in their hurricane-damaged homes, than actual Hurricane Katrina evacuees. Ultimately, respondents considering a hypothetical low-probability, high-consequence event exhibit exaggerated beliefs and opposite decisions of those who actually lived through one of these events. Results underline the importance of examining the differences between public perceptions and experiential reality

Clinical Science Unique risks for mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing nonemergent colorectal surgery

Abstract BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to identify unique risk factors for mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing nonemergent colorectal surgery. METHODS: A multivariate logistic regression model predicting 30-day mortality was constructed for patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing nonemergent colorectal procedures. Data were obtained from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (2005Program ( -2010. RESULTS: Among the 394 patients analyzed, those with serum creatinine levels .7.5 mg/dL had .07 times the adjusted mortality risk of those with levels ,3.5 mg/dL. For colorectal surgery patients, the average serum creatinine level was 5.52 6 2.6 mg/dL, and mortality was 13% (n 5 50). CONCLUSIONS: High serum creatinine was associated with a lower risk for mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease, even though creatinine is often considered a risk factor for surgery. These results show how variables from a patient-centered subpopulation can differ in meaning from the general population. 4 This database is a tool that records perioperative risk factors for addressing surgical morbidity and mortality. Our objective was to use the NSQIP data to create a multivariate model to identify unique risk factors predicting mortality in patients with ESRD undergoing nonemergent colorectal procedures