Mutual Influence between Rehabilitation and Psychoanalysis

This paper argues that two seemingly contradictory theoretical perspectives,that of Psychoanalysis and that of psychiatric rehabilitation – are in fact more similar than first meets the eye. Moreover, they are likely to be of mutual influence to each other, as opposed to rejecting of one another. The parallels between these two schools of thought are becoming more apparent following the developments over the last two decades both in terms of their conceptualization as well as their theoretical insights. Such resemblance is surprising in light of some of the clear seemingly structural differences between them. The purpose of this paper is to discuss some of these inherent differences as well as parallel developments and discuss their implications for theory and practice:

Discussing the similarities: 

To begin with, the two disciplines traditionally target different populations: psychoanalytic therapy is tailored primarily for those suffering from anxiety and depression - disorders considered to be in the lighter end of the psychiatric disorders spectrum, while psychiatric rehabilitation targets those who are experiencing more severe psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia spectrum disorders. This distinction in the target population has led to some of the differences seen in the intervention perspectives and practice, which characterize each of these disciplines.  Read more..................