Essential Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: An Acquired Art

by Teri Quatman

Essential Psychodynamic Psychotherapy : An Acquired Art provides an essential, accessible grounding in current psychodynamic theory and practice for a wide range of readers. For trainees, it offers a very useful toolset to help them make the transition from purely theoretical training to the uncharted territory of clinical practice. For more seasoned therapists and those seeking to deepen their understanding of psychodynamic therapy, it provides conceptual clarity, and may also serve as a stepping stone to more complex and denser psychoanalytic works written for advanced clinicians. Essential Psychodynamic An Acquired Art is an introduction to how to think and work psychodynamically. It is written primarily for those training at a postgraduate level in psychoanalysis and psychodynamic psychotherapy, but reaches well beyond that audience. It is grounded in contemporary psychoanalytic theory, drawing on the work of Winnicott, Bion, and Ogden, all of whom are pivotal in current psychodynamic thought and practice. It also integrates attachment theory and research, and includes fresh contributions from neuropsychological research. The voice of the book is honest and intimate. The tone is practical. It is written with a clear-minded understanding of contemporary psychodynamic theory that allows the new therapist to access the deepest and richest parts of the therapy itself. It translates many of the key theoretical tenets of psychodynamic psychotherapy, giving the reader a clear (but non-formulaic) guide as to how handle the contours of any analytic session; how to open one’s perceptual and emotional apertures as clinician; how to work in and understand "the relationship"; and how to work with the most common intra- and interpersonal problems patients present. This publication will be a valuable guide for new analysts and therapists, and also for those seeking to understand what the world of psychodynamic therapy may hold for them, no matter where they are in their clinical careers. Dr. Teri Quatman is an Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology in the Graduate Department of Counseling Psychology at Santa Clara University. She earned her Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1990, and has studied, practiced, and taught psychodynamic psychotherapy to graduate students for the past 25 years.

Genres: Psychology, Psychoanalysis, Nonfiction, Counselling, Grad School, Social Work, Textbooks

202 pages, Paperback

First published February 20, 2015

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book and think it serves as a strong introduction to both psychodynamic therapy and therapeutic practice generally! On the more foundational level, Teri Quatman does an excellent job providing a relatable yet rigorous introduction to listening skills and forming the therapeutic alliance (e.g., not rushing in to reassure a patient in distress and instead sitting with and exploring that negative emotion with them, avoiding small talk that may dilute the therapeutic process, etc.) She also provides a great overview, with many examples, of how early childhood attachments affect mental health and how a psychodynamic therapist can utilize the therapeutic connection to address and hopefully heal childhood wounds. I liked too that at the beginning of the book she honors the strength of other therapeutic modalities (e.g., behaviorism) as well as the contributions of neuroscience, while still making a solid case for psychodynamic therapy’s contributions.

I think the book could have delved into deeper psychodynamic territory; I was surprised that splitting seemed like the only or one of the only defenses she reviewed. I also felt that the role of culture, power, and oppression could have been addressed. Still, an interesting read and one that reminded me of a lot of the basic yet super important qualities to being an effective clinician.

[Dovilė Stonė · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kaip gera buvo skaityti šią knygą. Retai kada apie dalykinę literatūrą taip galiu pasakyti - kad ir kaip ją mėgstu, dažniausiai tenka dūsauti stengiantis suprasti sofistikuotą kalbą ir sudėtingus konceptus. Teri Quatman sugebėjo neįmantraudama, bet vaizdingai - per metaforas ir praktinius pavyzdžius - paaiškinti pagrindinius šiuolaikinės psichodinaminės psichoterapijos principus, tad skaitant vaizduotėje įsitvirtino daugelis kitose knygose skaitytų teorinių dalykų.

Bet ką brangiausio pasiėmiau iš knygos - nusiraminimą, kurio man labai reikėjo, kad galėčiau toliau dirbti, mokytis, tobulėti vedina ne jauno specialisto menkavertiškumo jausmo ir įtampos, o įkvėpimo ir kantrybės. Dėl to juokais šią knygą norisi vadinti "psichologų self-help knyga".

Žodžiu, rekomenduoju kolegoms - tiek pradedantiems savo praktiką, tiek jau tvirčiau įsivažiavusiems, bet ieškantiems malonaus profesinio skaitinio. Lengvai plaukiantis tekstas, logiška knygos struktūra ir daug taiklių metaforų.

We store in our bodies what we cannot afford to know in our minds.

Therapists in training are often taught to look for and identify defenses, but — and this is important—identifying them to the patient puts the cart before the horse most times. The point of a defense is the anxiety it is paired with. If someone is fleeing the scene of a disaster, it’s off-point to observe and describe to them their running style. We want to find out what they’re fleeing, how they’ve been hurt, and what happened to them at the scene of the disaster.
[...] Defenses defend themselves. Understanding and speaking to the anxiety underneath the defense softens the defense, allows the anxiety to come out of the shadows, allows it to be experienced and known—sometimes for the first time, consciously—and makes the patient feel profoundly seen and understood.

Perhaps this is what we do that’s unique to psychodynamic psychotherapy. We do the wrong. We sit with the trackless, hopeless, immovable, unspeakable, unutterable wrong. We sit in and with the anguish of it, the barrenness of it, the ickiness of it, the tragedy of it. We sit with sometimes a lifetime’s full of discouragement and defeat. We sit with it and in it. And we sit there for a long time—as long as we need to. We refuse to abandon our vigil. That’s our job. It’s our call.
But in it, in the longest, darkest, scariest, least promising times of it, we keep an eye on the right. We keep the hope, even when we’re the only one holding the hope. We move with someone all the way through the labyrinth of the wrong— with no short circuits, no manic fixes, no novocaine. But at the same time we hold somewhere within us a space—a place—for the right.

Freud (1906) called psychoanalysis “a cure through love.” It’s not that our love is curative. It’s more that it’s positional. It puts us in our place. It enables us to see and hold who this person might become, and it enables us to stay with it through the long and often painful process of the becoming.

We fail our patients— unintentionally, unconsciously, painfully, humanly, but inevitably, we fail our patients. Our capacity to show up in these moments, with honesty, openness, vulnerability—Winnicott (1955) felt that these moments are often the most healing moments in a therapy. Because this experience—to tell a parent the truth of how they have hurt us, and to have them take that in and do emotional work with it— this was the very thing that was often woefully missing from their parents’ attempts at attuned parenting. If we’re real to the work, these are moments when we must show up with honesty, humility, presence.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book beautifully articulates the why and the how of being a therapist. It distills a vast and difficult-to-decipher literature into an introductory text that is easily accessible and wonderfully concise. A great read for anyone interested in counseling.

[Jack Himes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely phenomenal. What the therapist actually *does* in session is difficult to find in psychodynamic literature, but Dr. Quatman gets as close to the bone of concrete intervention as you can, while elaborating why prescribed interventions are a rarity in psychodynamic psychotherapy. I can also really feel the love she has for the practice of therapy. It shines through the pages. Truly amazing.

[Amanda Talley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Should be required reading for every therapist. Absolutely fantastic… Quatman is a genius with words!

[Dawn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book definitely emphasizes the art of psychotherapy over the science of it. Not that the science is missing, but there’s a definite tilt toward the art, and some of the slightly woo-woo or “ineffable” qualities in therapy. I like it quite a bit, although it was the “wrong” book, in the sense that the teacher had wanted a different book, but the bookstore got it wrong (oops!). I had this one and couldn’t really get the “right one” and so I felt a bit off-kilter most of the term. Not at all the fault of the book, though. It was a good introduction to the various phases of therapy, and the importance of things like the therapeutic alliance. I even found the author’s description of Object Relations Theory to be clearer than the other book’s description as well, so that was great. Definitely a good enough book and quite helpful as one of several in a course or program, especially if others are hammering on “evidence-based practice” (as many do these, days.) I wouldn’t make it the only book I read on the topic, though it provides excellent balance and a valuable perspective.

[Hanan AL-Raddadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written by a great teacher. A teacher who believes that understanding is an attainable goal. That it’s just a matter of time.
Reading the book felt like walking through a festival of lights. Every chapter is well written and practical. I have never read a book with such strange yet plausible subtitles. I am familiar with many of the concepts Quatman mentioned but I have never understood them as clearly. If she can do this in a book, imagine what she can do in a classroom?
There is also a maternal security as you read. When you don’t understand a sentence, you are sure more explanations are coming your way. You reread the lines not just to understand but to enjoy and wonder how can a human being write so wonderfully about such complex concepts?
Quatman is right, this book IS essential to read.

[Salam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding
Incredible
Breath taking

Teri is a great writer, teacher and therapist. She’s talking about the beauty of psychodynamic therapy. How be a human in order to be a therapist. for a new therapist this’s a must (hands down) don’t you ever think twice about having the book. Even of you’re not interested in psychoanalysis or psychodynamic please read it.

This’s a book about the sacred work, the therapy. It’s not an easy thing to do, we must be humble, thankful, respectful.

This’s what being therapist is all about. i’m in aww because of this amazing pice. Thank you Teri Quatman. thank you.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is essential for anyone who is trying to practice or understand psychodynamic therapy! It makes this theory much more manageable and describes the elements of this theory flawlessly. Highly recommend!

[Aj Jansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I encourage any therapist beginning to lean towards psychodynamic (psychoanalytic) psychotherapy to read this book. The author writes in a way that allows for understanding and gives many examples from their own practice to illustrate concepts that may seem difficult to grasp. This book has given me a lot to think about. There’s a good chance I’ll read it again soon.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not technical but fresh, hopeful and a beautiful introductory text. It doesn't shy away from the difficult bits but does remain hopeful. Should be ready by novices and practitioners needing a breath of fresh air.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Quatman’s writing style. Great psychodynamic psychotherapy discussion. Very useful!

[Natalie Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book that has helped me to learn about this field and this work in an embodied way. Will keep this on my shelf for years.

[Elizabeth Soll · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bible for psychodynamically oriented therapists (as I hope to be). Dr Quatman is my professor and I’ve learned so much from her, and I respect her so much as a therapist. I’m on my third reread of this book (for work purposes) and I get something new each time.

[Agoes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Buku ini tidak terlalu memberikan penjelasan yang meyakinkan mengenai proses psikoterapi psikodinamik... pada bagian tertentu malah penulis terkesan "membenarkan" kekeliruan yang pernah dibuatnya dengan dalih itu memang sesuai dengan konsep psikodinamik dan memang seharusnya berjalan seperti itu.