In Psychotherapy Integration Over Time, Dr. George Stricker demonstrates one form of this commonly used type of therapy. All varieties of psychotherapy integration share one basic tenet: the necessity to be free to combine approaches and techniques so as to tailor therapy to the needs of the client. Most therapists, even those who claim strict adherence to one orientation, practice some form of psychotherapy integration in that they sometimes use techniques from other therapies. Psychotherapy integration, however, involves more than simply borrowing techniques: It requires paying close attention to the relationship between technique and theory. In this DVD, Dr. Stricker demonstrates assimilative integration, which takes a single theoretical understanding-in this case, relational psychodynamic therapy-and incorporates techniques from other approaches. Dr. Stricker works with a married woman in her late 40s who has an adult child and a grandchild living at home. At the beginning of therapy, the client is on the verge of ending her marriage. Dr. Stricker helps the client to work through her feelings about her husband, including her fear of separation and difficulty starting new relationships. During the six sessions of therapy, viewers will have the chance to watch as Dr. Stricker seamlessly incorporates different techniques into the therapy according to changing client needs, with the goal of helping her become more emotionally secure.
