The development of narrative identity in the psychodynamic treatment of avoidant personality disorder: A case study
Avoidant personality disorder (AvPD) is characterized by feelings of shyness, inadequacy, and restraint in intimate relationships and has been associated with a disturbance in narrative identity, which is the internalized and evolving story of past, present, and future experiences. Study findings ha...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1141768/full |
| _version_ | 1797869899940364288 |
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| author | Ashley Frances Volodina Timberlake Daniel Fesel |
| author_facet | Ashley Frances Volodina Timberlake Daniel Fesel |
| author_sort | Ashley Frances Volodina Timberlake |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Avoidant personality disorder (AvPD) is characterized by feelings of shyness, inadequacy, and restraint in intimate relationships and has been associated with a disturbance in narrative identity, which is the internalized and evolving story of past, present, and future experiences. Study findings have indicated that an improvement in overall mental health through psychotherapy may increase narrative identity. However, there is a lack of studies incorporating not only the examination of narrative identity development before and after psychotherapy but also within psychotherapy sessions. This case study examined the development of narrative identity in short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy treatment of a patient with AvPD, using therapy transcripts and life narrative interviews before, after, and 6 months following treatment termination. Narrative identity development was assessed in terms of agency, communion fulfillment, and coherence. Results showed that the patient’s agency and coherence increased over the course of therapy, whereas communion fulfillment decreased. At the six-month follow-up, agency and communion fulfillment increased, whereas coherence remained stable. The results of this case study suggest that the patient’s sense of narrative agency and ability to narrate coherently improved after undergoing short-term psychodynamic therapy. The decrease of communion fulfillment during psychotherapy and later increase after termination suggests that the patient became more aware of conflictual patterns in their relationships, therefore realizing that their wishes and desires were not being fulfilled in their current relationships. This case study displays the possible impact short-term psychodynamic therapy may have by helping patients with AvPD develop a narrative identity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T00:19:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-55486f19ae7b40a5bddacc9ae1e9e4fc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T00:19:51Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-55486f19ae7b40a5bddacc9ae1e9e4fc2023-03-16T04:50:19ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402023-03-011410.3389/fpsyt.2023.11417681141768The development of narrative identity in the psychodynamic treatment of avoidant personality disorder: A case studyAshley Frances Volodina TimberlakeDaniel FeselAvoidant personality disorder (AvPD) is characterized by feelings of shyness, inadequacy, and restraint in intimate relationships and has been associated with a disturbance in narrative identity, which is the internalized and evolving story of past, present, and future experiences. Study findings have indicated that an improvement in overall mental health through psychotherapy may increase narrative identity. However, there is a lack of studies incorporating not only the examination of narrative identity development before and after psychotherapy but also within psychotherapy sessions. This case study examined the development of narrative identity in short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy treatment of a patient with AvPD, using therapy transcripts and life narrative interviews before, after, and 6 months following treatment termination. Narrative identity development was assessed in terms of agency, communion fulfillment, and coherence. Results showed that the patient’s agency and coherence increased over the course of therapy, whereas communion fulfillment decreased. At the six-month follow-up, agency and communion fulfillment increased, whereas coherence remained stable. The results of this case study suggest that the patient’s sense of narrative agency and ability to narrate coherently improved after undergoing short-term psychodynamic therapy. The decrease of communion fulfillment during psychotherapy and later increase after termination suggests that the patient became more aware of conflictual patterns in their relationships, therefore realizing that their wishes and desires were not being fulfilled in their current relationships. This case study displays the possible impact short-term psychodynamic therapy may have by helping patients with AvPD develop a narrative identity.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1141768/fullavoidant personality disordernarrative identityagencycommunion fulfillmentcoherenceshort-term psychodynamic psychotherapy |
| spellingShingle | Ashley Frances Volodina Timberlake Daniel Fesel The development of narrative identity in the psychodynamic treatment of avoidant personality disorder: A case study Frontiers in Psychiatry avoidant personality disorder narrative identity agency communion fulfillment coherence short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy |
| title | The development of narrative identity in the psychodynamic treatment of avoidant personality disorder: A case study |
| title_full | The development of narrative identity in the psychodynamic treatment of avoidant personality disorder: A case study |
| title_fullStr | The development of narrative identity in the psychodynamic treatment of avoidant personality disorder: A case study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The development of narrative identity in the psychodynamic treatment of avoidant personality disorder: A case study |
| title_short | The development of narrative identity in the psychodynamic treatment of avoidant personality disorder: A case study |
| title_sort | development of narrative identity in the psychodynamic treatment of avoidant personality disorder a case study |
| topic | avoidant personality disorder narrative identity agency communion fulfillment coherence short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1141768/full |
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