READINGS

THEORY AS STORY

READ BY: Ava Pasewicz.

CITATION: Modlin, N., Stubley, J., Maggio, C., & Rucker, J. (2023). On Redescribing the Indescribable: Trauma, Psychoanalysis & Psychedelic Therapy. British Journal of Psychotherapy, 39: 551-572.

ABSTRACT: The psychedelic state can be thought about as an interdependent intrapsychic, somatic, interpersonal & spiritual happening which encourages, perhaps both to the relief & dismay of those participating in the experience, the shocking & impressive emergence of one’s unconscious desires & traumata's; a state which may be experienced as cathartic or healing, and as anxiety-provoking & confusing. Often, in clinical trials investigating psychedelics in mental health conditions, these go hand-in-hand. Amid a renewed, at times hyperbolic, interest in psychedelics as a potential treatment for mental illness, significant gaps of knowledge remain. Additional studies exploring the impact of the extra-pharmacological factors & adjunct therapeutic models on treatment outcomes are needed. Drawing from psychoanalytic perspectives, this paper explores points of intersectionality between psychedelic therapy under investigation & psychoanalysis in the context of traumatic stress. To that end, the psychedelic state will be considered an attempt to make the unconscious conscious by immersing self in a bewildering waking-dream to better tolerate reality; immersing self in a willful state of vulnerability, to develop trust in one’s agency & capacity to trust others; immersing self in an indescribable experience to learn how to redescribe, to self & to others the traumatic past.

REDESCRIBING THE INDESCRIBABLE

CITATION: Shedler, J. (2021). The personality syndromes. In R. Feinstein (Ed.), A Primer on Personality Disorders: Multi-Theoretical Viewpoints. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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KEY POINTS:

Personality refers to an individual’s characteristic patterns of thought, feeling, behavior, motivation, defense, interpersonal functioning, and ways of experiencing self and others. Clinical knowledge accrued over generations has given rise to a taxonomy of familiar personality syndromes. Personality syndromes exist on a continuum of functioning from healthy to severely disturbed. There is no discontinuity between normal and pathological personality.

Understanding personality syndromes requires an understanding of underlying personality processes such as inner conflicts, defenses, and motives. A diagnostic prototype is provided for each personality syndrome, which describes the syndrome in its “ideal” or pure form. A practical diagnostic method based on pattern recognition is provided, whereby clinicians consider the overall resemblance between patients and diagnostic prototypes.

The personality constructs provide the broad strokes of clinical case formulations. They can explain and contextualize presenting symptoms and disorders. Each personality syndrome is a distinct pathway to depression and requires a different treatment focus.
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Read by: Isabel P.

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THE PERSONALITY SYNDROMES

CITATION: Tosone, C. (2011). The legacy of September 11th: Shared trauma, therapeutic intimacy & professional post-traumatic growth. Traumatology, 17(3), 25-29.

ABSTRACT: This article describes the personal & professional experiences of the author as a result of her direct exposure to the World Trade Center Disaster. The author proposes the use of the term "shared #trauma" to describe the experience of clinicians exposed to the same collective trauma as their clients. Shared trauma can result in the blurring of clinician–client roles, increased #clinician self-disclosure & emphasis on the shared nature of the experience. Posttraumatic #growth can also occur, including in the professional realm where clinicians develop a renewed appreciation for the value of the profession, learn to initiate greater safeguards in protecting personal time, & gain an intimate understanding of patients’ traumatic experiences. The results of her 9/11 research as well as plans for collaborative #research in environments characterized by chronic acts of terrorism or exposure to natural disasters are summarized. ☮

THE LEGACY OF 9/11: SHARED TRAUMA, THERAPEUTIC INTIMACY & PROFESSIONAL POST-TRAUMATIC GROWTH

INTEGRATIVE DBT & PSYCHOTHERAPY