Psicoterapia psicanalítica com pacientes borderline: construindo pontes entre pesquisa e prática clínica

Abstract

This paper is born from the realization that it is necessary to combine the clinical tradition and empirical research to increase the understanding of acute disorganization experienced by patients with borderline personality disorder in psychoanalytic psychotherapy and establish guidelines for their management by the psychotherapist. It is a dissertation arranged on two empirical articles. The first, in assay format, deals with the apparent dissociation between clinical practice and empirical research and discusses the possibilities of a closer relationship between these two fields from the combination of clinical and empirical methods for understanding the psychotherapeutic process and observed changes in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. The case of a borderline patient is used to illustrate how empirical tools and clinical notes made by the psychotherapist can complement each other and offer subsidies for understanding the psychotherapy change process. Considerations about the potential of this kind of perspective contribute to reducing the gap between research and clinical practice. The second article is an empirical study that aimed to deepen and contribute to increase knowledge of the underlying aspects of the borderline crises and their management by the psychoanalytic psychotherapist, as they are expected, applicants, but subject to few studies. The case is a borderline patient in psychoanalytic psychotherapy for about three years. The analysis focused on a period of approximately three months near the end of the first year of treatment, in which there was an acute disorganization that culminated in an attempt to patient suicide, followed by a psychiatric hospitalization and psychological reorganization after. Psychotherapy was not interrupted during this period, which included 12 sessions. These were analyzed in depth through clinical notes from the therapist, an empirical measure of the therapeutic process, the Psychotherapy Process Q-Set (PQS), and symptom evaluation tool. The findings point to the recommendation to not interrupt the psychotherapy in the presence of borderline crisis and the importance of empathy, sensitivity and flexibility of therapists to adapt their techniques to the needs of these patients. Overall, the dissertation demonstrates the need for the involvement of psychotherapists with reading and co-construction of empirical knowledge to help them guide their practices, making them more effective. Borderline patients may present experienced intense crises inside the setting, which is technical challenge for psychoanalytic therapists. The adoption of integrated perspectives of research that include empirical and clinical perspective from the psychotherapist, is strongly recommended.