title: Three mechanisms of change in psychodynamic therapy: insight, affect, and alliance.
abstract: Excerpts of therapist-patient dialogue are presented to demonstrate three important elements of a successful session of psychodynamic therapy. These are the provision of insight through the use of transference, a focus on patient affect, and the therapist's attention to aspects of the therapeutic alliance. The article, in addition to explicating the clinical process in psychodynamic therapy, gives a theoretical explanation for the emphasis on each of these three elements and provides research support for their application.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA. smesser@rci.rutgers.edu
authors.forename: Stanley B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Messer
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000339:Affect; D001364:Awareness; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D003858:Dependency, Psychological; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D013811:Psychotherapeutic Processes; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief / Q000379:methods; D064889:Psychotherapy, Psychodynamic / Q000379:methods*; D012649:Self Concept; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D014167:Transference, Psychology; D055815:Young Adult