Reviews conceptual schemata and organizing principles that ego psychology has contributed to our understanding of emotional disturbance. Argues that ego psychology can be converted to testable, pragmatic, and usable precepts for psychotherapeutic practice. Finds theory particularly well suited to practice domain of clinical social work. (JBJ)

Proposes concept of a flexible frame through which the therapeutic relationship can both permit primitive defenses to emerge and serve as a basis for a corrective emotional experience. Containment, confrontation, and interpretation are presented as a three-fold strategy for effective engagement and treatment of the multisymptom patient. Provides…

In traditional psychoanalysis, patients recline on a couch in a way that prevents patients and analysts from seeing each other's faces. This has been argued to have significant effects, both positive and negative, on patients' treatment. The use of the couch creates an unusual communicative situation in which both parties are physically but not…