Psychotherapy at the end of life: psychodynamic contributions

摘要

The insights and contributions of psychodynamic psychotherapy at the end of life are considered in this review. Brief psycho-analytical interventions can be of benefit to the patient and concepts such as the therapeutic alliance, transference, countertransference, and regression useful to the understanding of the psychological processes involved in dying. When verbal communications are compromised by severe illness, the concepts and strategies used in child psychotherapy, based on attachment and developmental issues, are particularly relevant to clinical care. Such approaches as 'Watch, Wait and Wonder' are applicable to the care of the dying.