Taking care of a real self - description of the psychotherapeutic process of a patient with narcissistic personality disorders in the field of dance/movement psychotherapy

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Dance/movement psychotherapy (DMT) is a psychotherapeutic trend that belongs to the approaches that involve working with the body. Thinking about a wider perspective, DMT belongs to the group of action-oriented psychotherapies. It assumes that the person, while moving, can show his/her emotional states. Additionally, it can lead to development and personal integration. The goal is to deepen awareness. Psychotherapy with dance and movement is practiced among psychotic patients, patients suffering from neurotic or personality disorders, and as a method of personal development. The aim of the work is to describe the psychotherapeutic process of an individual client in the field of dance/movement psychotherapy as a method in which dance leads to development and personal integration. Material and method: Working with a client, Beata, took place in a strictly defined setting. Meetings took place once a week in the same office during 55 minutes. They were of an individual nature. First, Beata was diagnosed according to the DSM-5 [1] and ICD-10 [2] classification, which was supplemented with the PDM-2 diagnosis [3]. During the therapeutic work, the phenomena of transference and countertransference were taken into account, the patient’s behavior was interpreted according to John Bowlby’s attachment theory and mentalization. During practicing DMT it is important to take care of Authentic Movement method, observation of movement using the Laban Bartenieff Movement System (LBMS) method and the Kastenberg Movement Profile (KMP). Results: The changes that DMT psychotherapy started to bring were observed both in the client’s movement and in the verbal layer. The client has acquired the ability to observe her feelings and needs. This influenced her perception of announcement heard from different people and the decisions she made. The DMT therapy with Beata is not over yet, which makes it possible to take a deeper look at topics related to therapeutic goals. Conclusions: Dance/movement psychotherapy has proved to be an effective method of working with patients with personality disorders psychopathology of the narcissistic type. This method makes it possible to build a sense of the patient’s boundaries and needs, and to strengthen self-esteem. Sessions seem to be very helpful in integrating inner life, feelings and experience. In addition, it helps in dealing with the internal tension of patients and gives the opportunity to expand ranges of movement. In the verbal part, it is possible to discuss the problems that the client carries within himself, which cause him fear, anxiety and other unpleasant emotions.