title: How I Have Changed Over Time as a Psychotherapist.
abstract: Reflecting on my career as a psychotherapist has led me to consider 3 major areas that have affected the way I practice, namely, assimilative integration, the visions of reality, and brief psychodynamic therapy. Although starting out as a traditional psychoanalytic therapist, I became more integrative as I was exposed to other approaches and to patients with a variety of needs. As a result I developed a mode of integration, which I call assimilative. After applying the literary genres of tragedy, comedy, romance, and irony to psychoanalytic, behavioral, and humanistic psychotherapies, I found that they also could be used to describe any patient's multiple facets and psychological challenges. I demonstrate here how such visions helped in the treatment of a case of bipolar disorder. Upon recognizing the need for briefer forms of treatment, I developed an interest in conducting, conceptualizing, and researching brief psychodynamic therapy. I conclude the article by answering questions posed by the editors regarding how I have changed over time in conducting psychotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Rutgers University.
authors.forename: Stanley B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Messer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011575:Psychoanalytic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief / Q000379:methods; D064889:Psychotherapy, Psychodynamic / Q000379:methods
keywords: aging; assimilative integration; bipolar disorder case; brief psychodynamic therapy; career development; change in psychotherapy practice; integrating visions of reality