The technique for (completely) freeing up difficult emotions, giving fear and blocking the client, is very different at ISTDP and the classic Psychoanalysis. The analysis has a more listening accepting attitude, in which the client freely associates what comes to mind in him/her. The client lies there, and the therapist says little except if a interpretation takes place. Thi
s gives the risk that the client sometimes does not (completely) reach the deeper emotions. Or that it strengthens the defense mechanisms (such as rationalizing). Of course, there are many more processes going on that can certainly have their effect, and also different effects than with ISTDP. Moreover, it may be that, as it were, a solid foundation has been laid, and that the following observations of ISTDP therapists may not (be) correct. Y
et ISTDP therapists rarely see clients who have been in analysis for years (with 4-5 sessions per week), developing particularly technically complicated cognitive theoretical thinking frames about their own inner world. However, this is not always actually with the expected change at the emotional level. Emotions have been evoked and worked on, but not always all emotions and not always complete. The defence mechanisms have probably been given a chance to continue to exist or strengthen themselves. The effects of analysis are therefore different, possibly smaller/absent and slower on certain emotions that ISTDP considers crucial.
Note. This does not mean that the thoughts from an analysis of the internal world, the processes and emotions would not be correct. The discussion is more about the degree and speed of change of processes in the field of emotion processing. However, at ISTDP we see that insights after reprogramming this process, seem very truthful and even release spontaneous memories and images (with all the accompanying 'buried' emotions)