Okay, so, let’s talk about this “contemporary psychoanalytic two-person psychology model” thing. Sounds kinda fancy, right? But it’s really not that complicated. Basically, it’s just a way of looking at how therapy works, but instead of just focusing on the patient, it also considers what the therapist brings to the table.
I started getting into this whole thing a while back. I was reading up on different therapy approaches, you know, just trying to learn more about the field. I stumbled upon this idea of a “two-person psychology,” and it really caught my attention. I mean, it makes sense, right? Therapy isn’t just about what’s going on inside the patient’s head. The therapist is a real person too, with their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences. They’re not just a blank slate.
So, I started digging deeper. I read some articles, one of them was published in 1990 by this guy named Lewis Aron, and he was comparing the one-person and two-person psychology models. I also found some interesting stuff by Owen Renik and Irwin Hoffman. They talked about how the therapist’s own beliefs and biases can shape the therapy process. That really got me thinking.
Then I decided to try and apply this stuff in my own practice. See, I wanted to see how acknowledging my own stuff could change things. At first, it was kinda weird. Like, I was used to just focusing on the patient, trying to be all objective and detached. But with this two-person approach, I had to be more aware of my own reactions and how they might be affecting the interaction. I started being more mindful of what I was feeling during sessions, and also to pay attention to what my feelings might be telling me about what was going on with the patient.
- For example, if I started feeling bored or distracted, maybe it meant the patient was avoiding something important.
- Or if I felt really angry or frustrated, maybe that was mirroring something the patient was feeling but couldn’t express.
It took some getting used to, that’s for sure. It’s not easy to be that self-aware all the time. And sometimes, it’s just plain uncomfortable to face your own stuff. But you know what? I think it really made a difference. The therapy felt more real, more authentic. And I think my patients felt it too. They seemed to open up more, to be more engaged in the process.
One time, I was working with this client who was always super polite and agreeable. But I started noticing that I was feeling really annoyed with her. Like, irrationally annoyed. And then it hit me: maybe she was actually angry about something but couldn’t express it directly. So, I brought it up, in a gentle way, of course. And it turned out I was right. She had all this anger bottled up inside, but she was afraid to show it because she thought it was “bad.”
So, yeah, this two-person psychology thing has really changed the way I work. It’s not always easy, but it’s definitely more rewarding. It’s like, instead of just trying to “fix” the patient, we’re both in it together, figuring things out as we go. It’s a real partnership, a real human connection. And that’s what makes it so powerful, I think.
Some Realizations:
- It’s a two-way street. Therapy isn’t just about the patient changing; the therapist changes too.
- It’s messy. There’s no neat little formula. You have to be willing to get your hands dirty, to deal with the unexpected.
- It’s ongoing. You never really “arrive.” It’s a constant process of learning and growing, for both the therapist and the patient.
Anyway, that’s my take on this two-person psychology thing. It’s been a journey, and I’m still learning. But I think it’s a really important shift in how we think about therapy. It’s not just about analyzing someone’s mind; it’s about connecting with them as a whole person. And that’s pretty cool, don’t you think?
