Reading the Self-Other Drama of the Clinical Encounter: The Role of Literary Reading and Writing as a Challenge for Psychiatrists

Objective: The purpose of this article is to suggest ways in which literary practices such as reading of fiction and creative writing may be beneficial for psychiatrists in their clinical practice. Methods: Concepts from literary theory, phenomenology, and psychodynamic thinking will be used to move...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychiatric rehabilitation journal 2023-12, Vol.46 (4), p.309-315
Main Authors: Bundesen, Birgit, Rosenbaum, Bent
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Clinical Practice
Clinical Psychologists
Concepts
Creative Writing
Human
Humans
Literary studies
Mind body relationship
Pilot Projects
Psychiatrists
Psychoanalysis
Psychologists
Reading
Reading Comprehension
Writing
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Summary:Objective: The purpose of this article is to suggest ways in which literary practices such as reading of fiction and creative writing may be beneficial for psychiatrists in their clinical practice. Methods: Concepts from literary theory, phenomenology, and psychodynamic thinking will be used to move the therapeutic thinking of the medical paradigm beyond the dichotomic body-mind model. The ability to listen and respond to subjective and intersubjective processes, and the understanding of the dynamics and structure of the verbalized qualia will be emphasized. We will draw on our personal experiences from a pilot project applying literary techniques for psychiatrists and psychologists to improve their clinical practice. Results: In our analysis, we suggest a framing of the clinical encounter as a hermeneutic situation with a gradually growing scenic and poetic understanding of the texts enunciated in the therapeutic actions and of the texts being produced by the patient's mind. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: This theoretical study suggests two ways in which literary practices and concepts are highly valuable for the clinical practice of psychologists and psychiatrists. Impact and Implications Fiction and poetry reading can enhance empathy and understanding of the spoken and unspoken texts of patients through the concepts of character-reading, narrative sensitivity, and self-reflection. Clinicians in mental health care can benefit from creative writing as a tool for sharing and reflecting with peers in supervision and with patients in therapeutic intersubjective transformations.
ISSN:1095-158X
1559-3126
DOI:10.1037/prj0000566