An integrative psychotherapeutic model for the treatment of paranoid schizophrenia
Oana-Maria Popescu
International Journal of Psychotherapy, Volume 17: Number 1, Feb. 2013
Abstract
The paper presents a 6-step integrative psychotherapeutic treatment protocol for schizophrenia, within a theoretical framework drawing from CBT, psychodynamic approaches, transactional analysis, Ericksonian therapy and relational psychotherapy, including the use of hypnosis without formal trance induction, whilst actively implicating the therapist in the patient’s inner world. Changing sub-modalities with the use of informal hypnosis could be one of the most important aspects in treating patients with auditory hallucinations by a direct decrease of symptom intensity. The model is based on the assumption that there is a connection between the content of a previous abusive experience and the content of the psychotic symptoms – the stress-vulnerability model.
Copyright © 2013 The International Journal of Psychotherapy
Read Full Article
Additional Information:
At present hypnosis is still a controversial technique in the treatment of psychotic patients. An important implication of the presented integrative psychotherapy model is that, in the context of a good therapeutic relationship, the transformation of auditory hallucinations into visual hallucinations followed by ego state therapy are pathways towards recovery in paranoid schizophrenia.
The main steps in the treatment protocol consist of:
- Building the therapeutic alliance and developing the therapeutic relationship;
- Ego-strengthening and normalization of symptoms;
- Working with injunctions and life positions (The OK Coral) by using open communication channels (a Transactional Analysis concept);
- Changing sub-modalities with the use of informal hypnotic trance;
- Social skills training;
- Treating trauma.
Dr. Oana-Maria Popescu
