Emergence of Severe Traumatic Experiences: An Assimilation Analysis of Psychoanalytic Therapy with a Political Refugee

Abstract

Warded off traumatic experiences can have pathological effects by impinging on consciousness (e.g., recurrent nightmares), on behavior (e.g., avoidance of intimacy), or on the body (e.g., pains). Assimilation or integration of these problematic experiences is a common goal for different psychotherapies. In this article, we describe the psychoanalytic therapy of a political refugee who had suffered traumatic losses. Using assimilation analysis, we tracked the emergence of her warded off memories of loss. The interaction and alliance with the therapist seemed to promote a long and complicated process of mourning, in which she explored and assimilated (integrated) the loss. The analysis focuses on the early stages of assimilation, from warded off to problem formulation, stressing the complexity and pain of this process. It also illustrates a progression from somatic (symptomatic) expression to verbal symbolic expression of the problematic experience. Abgespaltene traumatische Erfahrungen konnen pathologische...

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