Professional Notes

Developmental Issues in Clinical Practice

All of us encounter difficult cases involving alliance problems, counter-transference dilemmas, managing boundaries, issues of lower level character disordered clients or abuse survivors. A psychodynamic relational and developmental perspective increases our understanding of the clinical situation and enhances our ability to intervene in a therapeutic way. Dr. Holman has more than 40 years of clinical experience with difficult cases as well as more than 25 years of training, supervising, and clinical consulting experience with mental health professionals working with difficult cases.

Workshops on Applying Developmental Theory in Practice provide essential theoretical information for clinical situations involving the developmental issues prominent in borderline, narcissistic, and abuse survivor pathologies. The workshops review: Developmental theories and concepts relevant to understanding difficult cases; Application of developmental and relational concepts in interventions; Concepts of attunement, mirroring, and empathy and their impact on senses of self; Co-creating meaning within inter-subjective encounters; and Relational approaches to working with developmental issues.

Seminars on Developmental Theory in Practice meet monthly and provide essential theoretical information for treating difficult cases. Monthly readings are reviewed and applied to cases and clinical practice.

Applying Developmental and Life Span Theory Seminar reviews
separation-individuation theory, assessing ego-strength and intervening to build ego structure, understanding false self and narcissistic development, developing a sense of self and recognition of others, mirroring and empathy and the role of the caregiver.

Relation and Mutuality in Change Seminar reviews relational and intersubjective
literature and applies it to the thereapists use of self. Affects and Transformation
reviews emotional development and emotion based approaches to change.

Case consultation focuses on developing an understanding of the dynamics of the client and the clinical situation. Issues of alliance building and transference/counter-transference, and use of the therapist's self will be discussed using relational and developmental perspectives.

Individual Case Consultation may occur monthly or on an as needed basis. It can take place in person, by email, or by telephone.

Small Group Consultations (3-4 professionals) meet monthly for two hour sessions so that each participant has 30-40 minutes to discuss their cases.