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Quaderni di Psicoterapia Cognitiva - Open Access

Studies and researches

No. 45 (2019)

Managing the therapeutic relationship in a developmental cognitive-constructivist perspective

Submitted
dicembre 31, 2019
Published
2019-12-31

Abstract

This paper considers the psychotherapeutic relationship in a constructivist, developmental and interpersonal perspective. A three-axis model of human functioning is proposed, which takes into account different possible organizations of the self and their variations on different levels of metacognitive functioning. For each axis, criteria of observation and clinical use of the therapeutic relationship are described. On the first axis, the therapist’s awareness of own and patient’s emotional regulation style and organization of memory systems is considered; this affects their adequate attunement and complementarity in the different phases of the psychotherapeutic process. On the second axis, the repair of the inevitable ruptures in the therapeutic alliance are connected to specific painful themes and to salient personal meanings of the patient on one hand and of the therapist on the other. On the third axis, the peculiar interpersonal models of patients with strong limitations in metacognitive functions are highlighted, along with the importance of managing the interpersonal cycles related to those models.

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