Interactive analytic-behavioral psychotherapy

A group of interpersonally oriented psychoanalysts, to which belonged author of this paper as well, has observed under guidance of A. Heigl-Evers and F.S. Heigl that an improvement of symptomatology of developmental, early structural personality disorders cannot be reached through hermeneutical interpretations, i.e. by providing alternative perspective with pointing to unconsciousness, which made immature personality of clients even more uncertain. They were coming into the treatment with interpersonal problems rather than neurotic symptoms and they were lacking for important interpersonal experiences leading to creation of differentiated controlling self-functions essential for coping with conflicts and frustration. For these reasons this so called Göttingen school group has created therapeutic method, which is concentrated on manifest to both sides visible behaviour and its regulation. The principle of selective-authentic reply instead of principle of interpretation is applied and so called “helping me” provided by vicarious empathy in stressful conditions. In this group a perception of one-sided and restrictive norms is accentuated, by which means group members avoid uncertainty or learning of new forms of interactions. Due to interactive and identificatory learning in situation “here and now” this method approximates Cognitive behavioural therapy.