Brief Psychodynamic Therapy—

Core Conflictural Relationship Themes Method (CCRT)

Adapted from Book, H. E. (1998). How to practice brief psychodynamic psychotherapy. Washington, DC: APA.

What is CCRT

Wish (see handout)

What a person wants and wishes in relationships RO: the Response of the Other

how a person anticipates others will respond to him or her or how the others actually respond

RS: the Response of Self client’s affective, cognitive, and behavioral responses

in relationship situations What are your feelings? (affective) What are your thoughts? (cognitive) What do you do? (behavioral)

The goal of CCRT

Goal is to help clients actualize the wish This actualization is accomplished by working

through and understanding the client’s RO as either a transference distortion or a repetition disorder

RO as a transference distortion Why we expect others to respond to us in a certain way

RO as a repetition disorder Why others tend to respond to us in a certain way

Three Phases of CCRT Treatment

Identify CCRT patterns over and over again (1-4 sessions) Therapists listen to stories of Relationship

Episodes (listen to Wish, RO and RS) Identifying that CCRT pattern is everywhere A person’s conscious awareness of CCRT is

increased A person has more control over previously

unconscious behavior

Three Phases of CCRT Treatment Work through the RO (5-12 sessions)

Be aware that current expectations of RO are affected by past experiences with others

Enactment: the client’s acting out of his or her CCRT toward the therapist

Recognize here-and-now examples of CCRT in session

Three Phases of CCRT Treatment

Termination (13-16 sessions) Offer a second chance to work through the

CCRT Discuss themes of fear of abandonment,

separation, and loss. Discuss worries regarding gains from

treatment will not continue