How does psychotherapy influence personality? A theoretical integration
Abstract
A given type of psychotherapy (e.g., psychodynamic) is associated with a set of specific change techniques (e.g., interpreting defenses, identifying relationship themes). Different change techniques can be conceived of as influencing different parts of personality (e.g., interpreting defense increases conscious awareness). An integrated model of personality is presented. Then, change techniques from different theoretical perspectives are assigned by judges to areas of personality the techniques are believed to influence. The results suggest that specific change techniques can be reliably sorted into the areas of personality. Thinking across theoretical perspectives leads to important new opportunities for assessment, therapy outcome research, and communication with patients concerning personality change.
Department
Psychology
Publication Date
10-6-2004
Journal Title
Journal of Clinical Psychology
Publisher
Wiley
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Mayer, J. D. (2004). How does psychotherapy influence personality? A theoretical integration. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 60, 1291-1315.