Theory and Practice of Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy

The book opens with an introduction to and history of the experiential dynamic therapies (EDT) including the groundbreaking Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) of Habib Davanloo and its subsequent development. The centrality of relationship in therapy is emphasized and the current state of the art and science described. Material from interviews with David Malan is presented, sharing some of his experiences, thoughts and insights over decades of clinical practice, research into and promotion of short-term dynamic therapies. The essential ingredients of experiential dynamic therapies are described, and the reader is orientated to the practice of EDT. Key characteristics of taking care of the real relationship, mirroring, history taking, and putting into perspective are also presented. In addition, high technical content, experiential-dynamic interventions, including defense re-structuring, emotional maieutics, anxiety regulation, dealing with the Super-ego, connecting corners of the Triangle of Others, and Self- and Other- Re-structuring are introduced and discussed. A coding system used throughout the clinical chapters to clarify the nature, and application, of therapist interventions is described. The conceptualization of "character hologram" is explained in detail, and illustrated with clinical material.

Throughout the book, annotated extracts from real therapy sessions are presented to illustrate characteristics of EDTs in clinical practice and, wherever possible, follow-up is presented. The clinical chapters describe the application of experiential dynamic individual and group approaches within the UK National Health Service and Counselling Services, primarily, but also in other Countries having similar public health services (Holland, Israel and Italy). The relevance of experiential dynamic approaches in providing case management and supervision, and in treating the more complex presentations of common mental health problems is discussed. A research chapter provides an overview of EDT-related research to date. It is argued that EDTs represent a promising integration of a number of therapeutic principles, and their place within current mental health policy in the National Health Service in the UK is outlined.

Mark Stein is Program Director of the Professional Management Programmes at the University of Reading, a visiting tutor at the Tavistock Clinic, and an associate of OPUS (an Organization for Promoting the Understanding of Society). Previously he has held posts at the London School of Economics, The Tavistock Institute, South Bank University and Brunel University.

Ferruccio Osimo is one of the founders of the International Experiential Dynamic Therapy Association and was its first president. He trained in dynamic psychotherapy at the Tavistock Clinic in London, where he carried out in-depth clinical studies on the quality of outcome, co-authoring with David H. Malan the book Psychodynamics, Training, and Outcome in Brief Psychotherapy (1992). He attended Habib Davanloo’s core training in Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy, and took part in the Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy Research Programme directed by Leigh McCullough at Harvard Medical School. His model of Intensive Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (IE-DP) is described in the Comprehensive Handbook of Psychotherapy (2002), in his book Experiential Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy: A Manual (2003), and in several scientific articles. Dr Osimo founded the Italian, UK, and Israeli core trainings in IE-DP. He maintains a psychotherapy practice in Milan, where he teaches at Universita Statale, School of Psychiatry. He is the president of the Italian EDT Association. His clinical work has been presented internationally.