International Journal of Mental Health

Combining Psychodynamic and Phenomenological Approaches in Psychotherapy: Ways to Improve Effectiveness

Artur Aleksandrov
Gestalt psychotherapyResearchExpert opinionEnglish
Journal Article - Paid access

Abstracts

Discusses the integration of psychodynamic, phenomenological, and behavioral approaches in the development of psychotherapy. It is stated that the psychodynamic model of person-oriented (reconstructive) therapy, in order to improve its effectiveness, has broadened to assimilate phenomenological principles of the causality and interpretation of morbid disorders. The capability of Gestalt therapy, a branch of humanist psychology, to integrate causal and analytic approaches is argued. It is said that integrating these principles enables optimum effectiveness in working on the patient's problems and restoring the connections between current behavior and difficulties in social functioning and past life experience. Techniques of Gestalt therapy in individual and group person-oriented psychotherapy are presented. It is concluded that an optimal psychotherapeutic intervention should combine causal and phenomenological approaches.

Journal
International Journal of Mental Health
Author
Publisher
International Journal of Mental Health
Year of Publication
1997
Volume
26
Issue
2
Number of Pages
21-29,
ISSN Number
0020-7411
DOI
10.1080/00207411.1997.11449396

APA citation

Aleksandrov, A. (1997). Combining Psychodynamic and Phenomenological Approaches in Psychotherapy: Ways to Improve Effectiveness. International Journal Of Mental Health, 26(2), 21-29, . https://doi.org/10.1080/00207411.1997.11449396