My evolution as a psychotherapist

Journal title PSICOTERAPIA E SCIENZE UMANE
Author/s Paul L. Wachtel
Publishing Year 2025 Issue 2025/1
Language Italian Pages 12 P. 9-20 File size 69 KB
DOI 10.3280/PU2025-001001
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Psychotherapy has evolved over the past fifty years, and many seasoned psychotherapists have evolved as well. In this requested editorial, the author’s evolution as a psychotherapist is summarized, from his original training in psychoanalytic theory and technique at Yale University, influenced by ego psychology, to his increasing interest in psychotherapy integration and his curiosity towards other approaches. In particular, his interest in behavior therapy and especially in the importance of the behavioral technique of exposure are described in the context of a theory of therapeutic change that continues to be strongly rooted in psychoanalytic ideas but that updates those ideas in light of the important contributions of other clinical perspectives. Attention to actual ongoing experiences, and not only childhood events, is fundamental for the patient’s improvement, and what the author has called “cyclical psychodynamics” is a central concept for the understanding and treatment of psychological problems. In this regard, another approach that is considered useful in the author’s research in psychotherapy integration is systemic family therapy, whose main concepts can be fruitfully included in the psychodynamic approach.

Keywords: Psychodynamic therapy; Psychotherapy integration; Anxiety; Interpretation; Exposure

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Paul L. Wachtel, Il mio percorso di psicoterapeuta in "PSICOTERAPIA E SCIENZE UMANE" 1/2025, pp 9-20, DOI: 10.3280/PU2025-001001