Defenses consist of cognitive, emotional, and interpersonal strategies employed by patients to keep anxiety-provoking thoughts and feelings out of awareness (see figure 4). There are two types of defenses, formal and tactical. Formal defense are implemented to prevent conscious awareness of thoughts and feelings experienced as dangerous. There are two subcategories of formal defenses, repressive and regressive. Repressive defenses include intellectualization, rationalization, minimization, displacement, and reaction formation. Regressive defenses are projection, somatization, denial, and acting out or discharge of impulse. A reliance on regressive defense indicates a greater impairment in ego functioning than would the use of repressive …show more content…
An overarching goal involves the direct experience of the patient’s complex mixed feelings towards others (Malan & Della Selva, 2012). As such, every session is focus on dismantling defenses against the experience of core feelings and affective contact with the therapist in order to release the buried feelings within (Malan & Della Selva, 2012). Davanloo’s techniques were developed to assist in this process by brining buried feelings to the surface, so they can be challenged directly by the client and resolved in an adaptive manner with the support of the therapist (Della Selva, …show more content…
The therapist communicate the utmost care and respect for the client as a human being, while maintaining an attitude of disrespect and intolerance for the defense that cripple the client’s functioning and perpetuate his suffering (Malan & Della Selva, 2012). The therapist takes on an active role to intensifies intrapsychic conflicts and generates complex transference feelings that make rapid change possible (Della Selva, 1996; Malan & Della Selva, 2012). It is clear from the beginning that the therapist is working diligently and is presenting a challenge to the client to join in and work at his or her highest level of ability. Davanloo has developed a series of techniques to address and break through the defensive barriers that clients employed to defense against emotional