Am J Psychiatry 1979; 136:149-155
Copyright © 1979 by American Psychiatric Association
Short-term dynamic psychotherapy
J Marmor
Short-term dynamic psychotherapy is rooted in psychoanalytic theory. The
author traces the historical background of brief psychotherapy, focusing on
the contributions of Freud, Ferenczi, Rank, and Alexander and French, and
then presents a synthesis of contemporary views. Selection criteria for
patients who can benefit from short-term therapy, and the techniques used,
are discussed. Similarities to and differences from crisis intervention
techniques are pointed out. The trend of the future can be expected to be
toward shorter-term therapies, but given the present state of psychiatric
knowledge, long- term therapy will still be necessary for many patients.
