July 15, 2024
This article was enlightening in showing how a therapist uses psychoanalysis to work with a child who has a learning disability. Learning this approach is helpful to understand the therapeutic alliance, its challenges and rewards. Palombo talks about concordant, complimentary and disjunctive “moments” in the therapeutic process. “During concordant moments a holding environment is created; during complementary moments the transference and countertransference is addressed; and during disjunctive mo-ments the ruptures that inevitably occur during treatment are dealt with.”
Palombo proposes that being kind, gentle, and patient is not just an attitude but also part of a therapists code of ethics. The therapist must observe her own unconscious wishes in order to resist dominating the patient in any way. Good supervision and therapy are required for the therapist.
I appreciate the description of the learning disorder as peaks (gifts) and often deep deep valleys (deficits).
As well then I was fascinated by the idea of “disorders of the self” “failures to attain or maintain a sense of self-cohesion or as an inability to construct a coherent self-narrative or both.” This is illustrated when he works with a teenage boy who has difficulties with audio comprehension. His family is high achieving and he struggles to feel accepted by his father. He agrees to play football. Even though it’s challenging for him, Palombo describes how it gives the boy membership and he is liked. I think it helps him to organize his sense of self.
Another interesting part was when one therapist could not work with a child client because of her aggression. It was just too much. And it was great the Palombo could include this “failure” with a discussion.
I worked at a Special Ed. School in NYC for five years. I wish I had had read this article.