Book Review – The Practice of Supportive Psychotherapy
Image: Practice of Supportive Psychotherapy by Len Lantz (CC BY-NC-ND)
Synopsis: Len's Star Rating: 5 out of 10. A revolutionary book when published in 1984 as the first book dedicated to supportive psychotherapy but is now most useful as historical reference.
BY LEN LANTZ, MD / 12.16.2020; No. 25
Disclaimer: Yes, I am a physician, but I’m not your doctor and this article does not create a doctor-patient relationship. This article is for educational purposes and should not be seen as medical advice. You should consult with your physician before you rely on this information. This post also contains affiliate links. Please click this LINK for the full disclaimer.
Star Rating – 5 out of 10
Rating guide: 1 = horrible, 5 = average and 10 = wow
Author
David Werman
About the author
David Werman, MD, (1922 – 2014) originally trained as an obstetrician and gynecologist and practiced in Manhattan at Beth Israel Hospital until 1964 when he began training in psychiatry. He was a Professor of Psychiatry at the Duke University Medical Center. He taught and practiced psychoanalysis at the University of North Carolina-Duke University Psychoanalytic Training Program and also served as a consulting psychiatrist at the VA Hospital in Durham, North Carolina. His second book on psychotherapy, Applied Psychoanalysis: Explorations and Excursions, was published posthumously in 2015.
General description
The Practice of Supportive Psychotherapy is the first book to focus solely on teaching therapists to perform supportive psychotherapy. It was originally published in 1984 and has served as a foundational textbook for decades for counselors, therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists in learning the theory and basic approaches of supportive psychotherapy. The book is oriented around performing psychodynamic supportive psychotherapy yet its language is heavy in psychoanalytic terms and concepts. Topics covered in this book include:
Distinguishing supportive psychotherapy from insight-oriented psychotherapy
Evaluating whether the patient should be treated with supportive psychotherapy
Establishing treatment goals
Setting limits in therapy
Addressing transference and countertransference
Helping the patient move from dependence to individuation
Dealing with dreams
Terminating versus interrupting therapy
Unique and most important aspects
The Practice of Supportive Psychotherapy was groundbreaking in 1984, as nothing prior to this book could be used to educate or guide trainees or mental health professionals on the basics of supportive psychotherapy. The language use is dated, however, the case studies remain quite interesting in this landmark book. The Practice of Supportive Psychotherapy contains much useful information but the reader has to dig for it and not be distracted by the frequent use of deficit-oriented psychoanalytic jargon. Important components in this book include:
The elements of “reassurance” in supportive psychotherapy
Helping the patient feel less pain
Conveying an empathetic attitude
Increasing the patient’s awareness of genuine possibilities and alternatives
The importance of developing a friendly rapport while maintaining a clear understanding that the relationship is not a friendship
Therapeutic strategies and tactics
Enhancing “adaptation”
Encouraging positive behaviors
Utilizing the patient’s strengths
How to recognize and address resistance in therapy
Best quotes
“Supportive psychotherapy refers primarily, but not exclusively, to a form of treatment whose principal concern and focus is to strengthen mental functions that are acutely or chronically inadequate to cope with the demands of the external world and of the patient’s inner psychological world.”
“I believe that respect for the patient must be the sine qua non of all psychotherapeutic work. The most regressed, bizarre, or intractable patient is no less deserving of the therapist’s concern and respect than any other patient. Compassion and empathy and a nonjudgmental attitude should pervade all psychotherapeutic work.”
“Practicing supportive psychotherapy is a notable endeavor. Everyone who does this work should feel gratified with the contribution he is making; there is no more worthy effort than to help relieve a little human misery.”
Who would enjoy this book?
Any mental health trainee or professional desiring an original or historical view of supportive psychotherapy would likely enjoy The Practice of Supportive Psychotherapy.
Who would not enjoy this book?
Therapists who are looking for an updated, practical and approachable book on supportive psychotherapy might not enjoy The Practice of Supportive Psychotherapy, and I would direct them to the book Doing Supportive Psychotherapy by Dr. John Battaglia (See Len’s Book Review) instead.
Conclusion
The Practice of Supportive Psychotherapy was revolutionary when published in 1984 as the first book dedicated to supportive psychotherapy but is now most useful as historical reference.