Understanding regressive defenses

understand the difference between regressive and repressive defenses and how to assess fragility vs regression

[@jonandl]

Really like the clarity in your teaching! Great!

[@patriciacoughlinphd1852]

Thanks.

[@heiditrydal9287]

You explain the distinction between the different lines of defences in a very clear way. I think we too often undermine patients and don’t help them achieve their highest capacity.

[@patriciacoughlinphd1852]

I agree. Pathologizing patients is bad for their health! Will say more in the next video about doing an accurate assessment of ego adaptive capacity.

[@heiditrydal9287]

Patricia Coughlin PhD look forward to your next video!

[@saras.2173]

I have no idea how I would “build capacity” in a client with regressive defenses.

[@patriciacoughlinphd1852]

It requires specific interventions and a good deal of training and supervision. However, it is. possible and often in a very short amount of time.

[@DB-zg8hy]

Hi Patricia, this video deepened my awareness of regressive defenses, thank you. Some Qs if you wouldn't mind. If a patient is truly angry at me for things I am genuinely not doing in the interview ("you're blaming me for hurting my mother...I told you I never touched her!"), in what way is this a projection? (is it a projection of PSE or a projection of their transference-saturated representation of me?) Finally, I'm still struggling to comprehend the conceptual difference between projection and projective identification (it's seems there's a mechanism of affective transmission I'm not connecting to my clinical encounters), can you simplify this concept? Thank you in advance for your assistance, I am a big fan of your teaching.

[@DB-zg8hy]

I found the answers to these questions - you've already written about them in your books, I just needed to review them again. Great stuff.

[@davidengle3627]

I would like further clarification as to what a regressive defense looks like. Maybe an actual real life example. I have been therapy for about two years. I readily admit that there is a huge amount of maternal transference on my part (my therapist being female and me being a male, she has turned into kind of a mother figure for me). So, what I am getting to, what I would like to know, is/are some of my defenses regressive in nature in order to be congruent with that feeling of transference? Sometimes, I disassociate in session, the only way she can ground me and "get me back" is to start talking to me like a child. No flaming please. This is an honest question, I thank everyone for an honest, measured response.

[@patriciacoughlinphd1852]

Regressive defenses include helplessness, somatization, projection, and dissociation. It is our task to block regressive defenses and work with patients at their highest level of capacity.