Three therapeutic processes of in-patients with eating disorders compared with the core conflictual relationship method (CCRT)

In this article the results of a research with the CCRT-method on the psych otherapies of three in-patients suffering from eating disorders are present ed. The CCRT describes recurrent internal and interpersonal relationship pa tterns in narratives. Each therapy session was recorded on tape and transcr ibed. The CCRT components were identified from the verbatim transcripts. Al l three patients clearly showed a negative self-perception and despite a mo re graded attitude regarding other people they felt rejected by the communi ty throughout the entire therapy. The CCRT of each patient was different: p atient 1. had conflicts between dependence and independence with increasing autonomy; patient 2. had great symbiotic desires, which at the beginning o f the therapy were warded off with a performance ideal; patient 3. showed s elf-assertion and an increasing level of openness against the community, de spite a high level of fear and self-isolation at the onset of therapy. Desp ite methodological deficiencies the CCRT method proved to be sensitive enou gh to show similarities and differences among the individual courses of tre atment.