Understanding Davanloo's Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy: A Guide for Clinicians

The objective of this book is to update dynamic psychotherapists on the latest findings in Davanloo's Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy (IS-TDP). Previous authors have sometimes presented a simplistic, reductionist version of the technique to the public, and the current book is important because it offers the broadest and most up-to-date treatment of the subject, written by a psychiatrist who has attended Davanloo's closed circuit training program for the past eight years. Clear and well-organized prose introduces important technical concepts that had not been previously discussed. The book is divided into three main sections. These include sections on basic theoretical principles of Davanloo's work, application of his new principles and research/future directions. The book begins with an opening chapter on Davanloo's metapsychology of the unconscious. Following this chapter, major mobilisation of the unconscious will be explored in detail. This important concept will be reviewed in the context of Davanloo's closed circuit training program which has unique learning and experiential features. A number of important newer topics are also explored. These concepts will be made less abstract and more tangible as they are illustrated through a case study of an individual who was interviewed in the closed circuit training program. These interviews, in their totality, are not available in any other format. The book ends with a section on future directions for research, neuroimaging, and competency-based education.

Table of Contents:
Preface -- Basic Theoretical Principles of Davanloo’s Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy: An Introduction -- A review of Davanloo’s metapsychology of the unconscious -- Davanloo’s discoveries: an overview of the Montreal closed circuit training programme -- Davanloo’s discoveries, 2005–2015: an overview of important terminology and teachings -- Application of New Theoretical Principles -- The initial evaluative interview: the major mobilisation of the unconscious and the total removal of resistance -- The transference neurosis: Part I -- Transference neurosis: Part II -- Multidimensional unconscious structural changes: Part I -- The neurobiological pathways of murderous rage and guilt -- The transference neurosis: Part III -- The destructive competitive form of the transference neurosis -- The transference neurosis: Part IV -- Unconscious defensive organisation and brainwashing -- Pathological mourning and the mobilised unconscious -- Intergenerational transmission of psychopathology -- The “turning away” syndrome -- Following the trail of the unconscious -- The neurobiological destruction of the uterus -- The character resistance of the idealisation of destructiveness -- Being a mother to one’s own mother -- Multidimensional unconscious structural changes: Part II -- The transference neurosis: Part V -- The metapsychology of forgiveness -- The transference neurosis: Part VI -- Future Directions -- Competency-based psychotherapy education and research: an introduction -- Neuroimaging and Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy: psychotherapy and the brain

About the Author :
Dr Catherine Hickey is a psychiatrist in St John's, Newfoundland, Canada. She is an assistant professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland where she earned her medical degree. She did her residency in psychiatry at Dalhousie University and completed her fellowship in psychosomatic medicine (medical psychiatry) at Harvard University. She is certified by the American Board of Neurology and Psychiatry. She is also certified in Psychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Her interests lie in Geriatric Psychiatry, Medical Education and Davanloo's Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy. She has completed a twelve-year traineeship with Dr Davanloo of McGill University and holds a Masters in Medical Education Degree from the University of Dundee. She is the author of several peer reviewed publications, most of which focus on the themes of Davanloo's IS-TDP and competency based psychotherapy education.

Review :
'Dr Hickey's book is not only an excellent and highly educational introduction to ISTDP, but also the only reference work so far for Habib Davanloo's latest research, including the technique of multidimensional unconscious structural changes, the concepts of fusion, healthy and impaired defensive organisation, intergenerational transmission of neurosis and his totally new approach to transference neurosis. With great dedication, Dr Hickey describes the meticulous work of the reconstruction of a damaged human being and shares with us the deeply moving journey from neurotic destructiveness, guilt and slavery to freedom, love and forgiveness.'- Camille Stemper, MD, psychiatrist, and co-coordinator of Davanloo's Annual Montreal Metapsychology Symposia, 2007-2015'In clear prose illustrated with powerful clinical transcripts, Dr Hickey shares Dr Davaloo's most recent contributions to the understanding of human psychology. Written with a skilled integration of precision in language required of a scientific text, and a compelling sense of narrative in the clinical material, this book is sure to find its way into the psychiatric literature as both an engaging read and as a reference to be kept.'- James Q. Schubmehl, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine, New York'In Dr Hickey's text, readers who are familiar with the work of Dr Davanloo will recognise a familiar theoretical landscape while being invited into a brave new appreciation of the unconscious. The truly ingenious dimension of Dr Hickey's work is that she accomplishes all of this while clinically and graciously moving through the transformative journey of one particular patient.'- The Rev. Canon Dr Jody Clarke, Associate Professor, Practical Theology, Atlantic School of Theology, Halifax, Nova Scotia'This work shares knowledge of the metapsychology of the unconscious and Davanloo's ISTDP that is leading edge and heretofore unavailable. Dr Hickey's coverage of transference neurosis is unprecedented. But she is also sharing a knowledge garnered from a forum unlike any other, where examination of the unconscious human domain is undertaken in a uniquely scientific manner under audiovisual scrutiny from within and from without.'- K. Mitchell Naficy, MD, FAAFP, family physician, private practice, San Juan Capistrano, California'Dr Hickey's book sheds a strong and solid light on Davanloo's ISTDP. The dense text allows readers to delve into this revolutionary technique from its foundations to its clinical application, through the detailed expose of an entire therapy. The metapsychology of the unconscious frames every step of it, showing the scientific roots of technical intervention. The book also illuminates recent developments stemming from ISTDP, both in term of clinical application and training.'- Dr Sandro Rosseti, MD, psychiatrist and psychotherapist, European Federation for Davanloo's Techniques, President of the Italian Institute for Teaching and Research in Davanloo's ISTDP, and Director of Training at Det Dansk Davanloo Institut, Denmark