Working with the abusive parent in therapy: A psychodynamic perspective

The abusive parent enters the therapeutic experience with much caution and resistance. It is important that a firm working alliance be established to increase the patient's interest in the treatment situation and his/her moti vation for change. The therapist can use the concepts of transference and c ounter-transference to understand the abusive parent's characterological ma keup, central psychodynamics, and abusive tendencies. The goals of treatmen t include establishing a safe, warm, nonjudgemental therapeutic climate in which the patient can strengthen ego functioning, thus improving reality te sting, judgment, interpersonal relatedness, and the capacity to delay and t ame abusive impulses and behavior. This article discusses working with the abusive parent in therapy from a psychodynamic perspective.