What
is Time-limited Psychotherapy?
Time-limited
psychotherapy refers to a psychosocial interven-tion, usually an individual
psychotherapy, of relatively brief du-ration. Many of the defining features of
TLPs follow from the fact that these treatments are intensive or compressed.
Over a short period of time, the therapist identifies necessarily circumscribed
treatment goals, working actively to maintain the treatment focus and preserve
the treatment structure. Thus, TLPs are character-ized by 1) specified
treatment duration or time limit; 2) narrow treatment focus; 3) rapid and
succinct case formulation; 4) struc-tured treatment format; and 5) active
therapist role.
Despite
these similarities, TLPs comprise a heterogeneous array of treatments used to
treat a plethora of conditions over quite variable time periods. “Brief”
treatments can last anywhere from a single session to a year, and the
therapeutic techniques deployed may range from transference interpretation (in
brief psychodynamic psychotherapy) to a fear hierarchy (in behavioral therapy).
Brief therapies are not indicated for the management of longstanding character
disorders or chronic and persistent men-tal illness such as schizophrenia or
bipolar disorder.
Given
that (a) not all TLPs are the same and (b) experi-ence in delivering one
treatment does not confer expertise in all TLP modalities, it would be
overwhelming to attempt mastery of TLPs in general. Thus, a reasoned approach
to acquiring “com-petence” in brief interventions might include acquainting
oneself with the general principles of TLP, learning the techniques and
strategies associated with one evidence-based therapy, and then obtaining
clinical training (including expert supervision that in-volves review of audio-recorded
or videotaped sessions) in the selected TLP modality. Although standards for
“competence” vary across TLP modalities (in some cases, they are not defined at
all), true competence is typically obtained after completion of a course in a
specific psychotherapy followed by several carefully supervised cases
(Markowitz, 2001).
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