THE THERAPEUTIC CONCEPT OF THE DYNAMIC-PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL MENTERSCHWAIGE

The present paper gives a concise presentation of the theoretical conc ept and its therapeutic practice at the Dynamic-Psychiatric Hospital M enterschwaige in Munich, founded by Gunter Ammon. It emphasizes the mu ltidimensional view of the ill person with his pathological, i.e. deve lopmentally disintegrated, but also his constructive facets. Consequen tly, an integration of the individually planned verbal and non-verbal therapeutic procedures within the milieutherapeutic, groupdynamic and social-energetic field of the Hospital, on the level of the therapeuti c team and through the regular case conferences, is essential. Basical ly, the repeat and repair experience of the patient within Ammon's con cept of identity therapy enables him to gradually develop his personal ity structure. Disease and health, the author argues, are processual e ntities, involving possible lifelong development and entailing a corre spondingly processual view of both diagnosis and treatment.