In the first phase of our research we wrote a paper, entitled “Is long-term psychoanalytic treatment effective for self-identity issues in traumatic brain injury patients: contributions of neuro-psychoanalysis to care after TBI”. In this paper, we show how psychoanalysis has contributed to the successful rehabilitation of a traumatic brain injury patient, particularly in relation to developing theory of mind.
On April 5, 2010, we presented a condensed version of this paper for Herrick Hospital grand rounds, a luncheon meeting in which doctors, psychologists, psychoanalysts and practitioners convene to listen to evocative talks. Our talk emphasized the development of “theory of mind” in the TBI patient, as well as the collaboration of the analyst and the neuropsychologist in his treatment. The neuropsychologist offered his view of the patient as difficult and impossible to reach and showed the change that occurred as he was exposed to analytic concepts and the patient progressed in analysis. The patient became less difficult, more open and cooperative, and more able to respond to cognitive retraining. The analyst presented process notes which showed how the patient, through the analyst’s containment, was able to think about the brain injury and eventually to distinguish his own mind from others’ minds (theory of mind).
A full version of our paper will be given at the International Neuropsychoanalysis Conference in Seattle, July 2010.
The second phase of our program will be a conference in the Fall entitled: Master Clinicians in Neuropsychoanalysis: an interdisciplinary approach to traumatic brain injury, PTSD, trauma and stress.
On November 13-14, 2010, the Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California, with the participation of the CNRG, will sponsor a two-day conference to advance the rehabilitation of traumatic brain injury patients through psychoanalytic treatment and to contribute to the research on the relationship between the mind and the brain. We will bring together master clinicians in neuropsychoanalysis and traumatic brain injury. The keynote speakers will be Dr. Mark Solms of Capetown University, Dr. Anthony Chen from UC Berkeley and UCSF, and Dr. Harold Kudler, Department of Defense Mental Health Director. Our aim is to teach and demonstrate the efficacy of a psychoanalytic approach in working with neurological conditions using traumatic brain injury as a model.