Psychoanalytische Familientherapie

This article presents the psychodynamic treatment of a highly conflictual couple whose relationship is characterized by intense needs for closeness, aggressive escalations, and pronounced dynamics of control and withdrawal. Drawing on object...

The partially forgotten psychoanalytic roots of family therapy are outlined through key developmental lines as well as pioneers of psychoanalytic couples and family therapy. First, the pioneers in North America are honored, whose innovations are...

Mentalization is a key regulatory mechanism for maintaining well-being. Therefore, promoting mentalization skills appears to be an important approach for mental health prevention. The transition from childhood to adolescence is a particularly...

This article outlines the theoretical foundations and clinical application of Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) within the framework of parental and family therapy. Drawing on the developmental theory of psychoanalysis, mentalizing is defined as...

Psychodynamic couples therapy is the oldest form of couples therapy and has been empirically studied for its effectiveness repeatedly over the past decades. However, studies on the effectiveness of this form of couples therapy have become less...

Children and adolescents tend to express their inner emotional state nonverbally through facial expressions, body language, behavior, and actions (»symptom language«). If adults (parents, teachers, therapists) are unable to decipher and verbalize...

The article deals with one facet of the problem of children in reception centers for refugees. The focus is on the difficulty of developing their own gender identity in the face of role models. What is generally pointed out in the specialist...

Children and adolescents who went through the GDR’s residential care system because of social conspicuousness, refusal, family problems or unpleasant political views (their own or their parents’) often still suffer from the consequences of...

The author uses a case study to illustrate the frequently encountered conditions and structures of family therapy within a day clinic setting, which typically does not focus on family dynamics and their influence on symptomatology. Admission to the...

Online dating is now the most popular way to find a partner. The success of these formats speaks for itself in terms of finding a partner, but it can also point to a growing social need to find a virtual space where one can escape from reality. This...

On the literature on interactions between psychotherapy and partnership both unfavorable and favorable influences are been described. The present article therefore deals with characteristics that may be helpful in the early recognition of conditions...

The author presents the concept of relational analysis as an elaboration of object relations theory in the multi-personal context of family relations, proceeding from there to indicate parallels and differences between relational analysis and...

Female and male therapists have different ways of presenting themselves in therapy. An attempt is made to discribe the current situation, without trying to imply that this be a natural law or remain a strict rule for ever. The author, himself a...

The authors examine »multigenerational family therapy«, an approach to family therapy that involves the grandparents (first generation) in the treatment of problems between parents (second generation) and their children (third generation). The...

Until today the concept of transference has remained central to psychoanalytic theory. Is it also central to family therapy? Many, if not most family therapists would probably answer negatively. According to them, a family therapist works mainly...

The author develops a theory of parent-child relationships that allows for a systematic analysis of psychosocial mechanisms of defense according to thematic roles. These roles include, for example, partner substitute, mirror image, ideal self,...

Since the first Pisa study conducted by the OECD in 2001, Germany has received poor marks in international comparison. The conclusion from Berlin at the time was that the »cuddly pedagogy« that had been practised for decades finally had to come to...

Clinical observations generated the hypothesis of multigenerational (transgenerational) transmission of conflictual relationship patterns in families. This hypothesis is meanwhile supported by a growing body of quantitative research. The impact of...

The article provides a brief overview of psychoanalytic and attachment theory developmental psychology in relation to the highly contentious separation problems of parents of under-threes. It is based on a lecture given at the annual conference of...