SUPPORTIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY OF THE SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENT

The principles of Psychodynamically Oriented Supportive Therapy are applied to the treatment of the schizophrenic patient. The role of the supportive therapist includes overall executive responsibility, management of psychopharmacology, and referral for family work, social skills training, and vocational rehabilitation. The treatment is divided into stabilization and maintenance phases. The tasks are building a therapeutic alliance, psychoeducation, and establishment of an effective drug regimen in collaboration with the patient. The maintenance phase focuses on adaptive and maladaptive defenses, therapeutic alliance, transference, resistance, working through, and attenuation. Clinical examples illustrate the main issues.