THE CHANGING STRUCTURE OF TANYAS CONFLICTS - A CASE OF ONLINE CONFLICT ASSESSMENT IN PSYCHOTHERAPY

The degree and structure of intrapersonal conflicts in a patient with psychosomatic headaches, Tanya, were assessed before and after psychot herapy. An individual list of ten personally relevant topics or concep ts was selected, and a test of conflict based on these concepts was pr esented and answered on-line by the patient. Before psychotherapy, con flict was primarily associated with myself, social communication, and job. Expressing negative feelings was unequivocally rejected by the pa tient, thus causing little conflict, and regarded as incompatible with social communication. Tanya's tendency of cognitive conflict reductio n was inconspicuous. Following therapy, the patient's attitudes and be liefs had changed substantially, particularly in respect to social com munication and the expression of negative feelings. The highest degree of conflict was now associated with family, myself, job, and work cap ability. Conflict reduction tendencies remained unchanged. The increas e in the overall degree of conflict after psychotherapy, and particula rly conflictual and dysfunctional attitudes and beliefs associated wit h family and job, suggest that psychotherapy may have ended prematurel y and should have included, e.g., attempts to integrate Tanya's attitu dinal changes with her beliefs concerning family and work, or a social competence training in how to express negative feelings adequately an d constructively.