Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2021 Feb;77(2):398-413.
doi: 10.1002/jclp.23115. Epub 2021 Jan 21.

Alliance rupture-repair processes in intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy: Working with resistance

Allan A Abbass  1 , Joel M Town  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Alliance rupture-repair processes in intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy: Working with resistance

Allan A Abbass et al. J Clin Psychol. 2021 Feb.

Abstract

Intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy (ISTDP) was developed to manage treatment impasses preventing the experiencing of feelings related to childhood attachment interruptions, such as parental loss. According to ISTDP theory, certain categories of patients will exhibit habitual patterns of responding within the treatment relationship (called defenses) to certain anxiety-provoking thoughts and feelings. Such defensive behaviors interrupt awareness of one's own feelings, self-directed compassion and engagement in close human attachments, including the bond with the therapist. Rupture-repair sequences in ISTDP are primarily considered in the context of a patient's defenses and the responses a therapist has to these defenses. By understanding and clarifying these defenses, this risk of subsequent misalliance, that is negative shifts or ruptures in the alliance, are minimized. In this paper we summarize ISTDP theory and technique through the use of clinical vignettes to illustrate defense management as a rupture-repair equivalent in ISTDP.

Keywords: emotion; intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy; psychodynamic; rupture-repair processes; unconscious; unconscious therapeutic alliance.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. Abbass, A. (2015). Reaching through resistance: Advanced psychotherapy techniques. Seven Leaves Press.
    1. Abbass, A. (2016). The Emergence of psychodynamic psychotherapy for treatment resistant patients: Intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy. Psychodynamic Psychiatry, 44(2), 245-280. https://doi.org/10.1521/pdps.2016.44.2.245
    1. Abbass, A., & Katzman, J. (2013). The cost-effectiveness of intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy. Psychiatric Annals, 43, 496-501. 10.3928/00485713-20131105-04
    1. Abbass, A., Kisely, S., & Kroenke, K. (2009). Short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy for somatic disorders, Systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 78(5), 265-274.
    1. Abbass, A., Town, J., & Driessen, E. (2012). Intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of outcome research. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 20(2), 97-108. https://doi.org/10.3109/10673229.2012.677347

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources