Together We Stand in the Bottomless Pit – When Trauma Hits the Therapeutic Dyad

Abstract

The concept of trauma has been one of the pillars of psychoanalytic thinking ever since the time of Freud's research into the origins of hysteria. In the years to follow, different aspects regarding the role of trauma in the development of personality and self have been presented. We will describe a case study of a woman who suffers from schizophrenia and our joint venture in face of a traumatic event which took place in our ward. a cross sectional analysis through theoretical, clinical and cinematic aspects of trauma, disassociation, psychosis and psychotherapy. 1. Exploring the cinematic motifs of trauma in the film The Fisher King by Teri Gilliam. 2. Analyzing these motifs and outlining implications for a therapeutic dyad who withstands a traumatic event in the closed ward. Through parallel analysis of the film and the case study we describe the development of the traumatic response in the therapeutic dyad in face of a traumatic event. The cinematic motifs which are used to describe the traumatic response are present and have an effect on the therapeutic process. Analyzing their presentation seems to clarify possible obstacles that challenge the therapist in treating a patient who suffered from trauma. The unique therapeutic situation in which the therapeutic dyad goes through a traumatic event amplifies the different traumatic responses and their collision. Clarifying the obstacles which embark in psychotherapy with a patient who suffers from a traumatic response can aid the therapist in developing coping strategies.