Abstract

SILVA, Ana Nunes da; VASCO, António Branco  and  WATSON, Jeanne C.. Quando o cliente pensa que não sente e sente o que não pensa: Alexitimia e psicoterapia. Aná. Psicológica [online]. 2013, vol.31, n.2, pp.197-211. ISSN 0870-8231.

The research literature repeatedly shows patients with alexithymia as having poorer outcomes in psychotherapy. Taking into account that the characteristics associated with the alexithymia construct reflect deficits in the emotional processing, not only with emotional regulation but also with other underlying processes, such as emotional awareness, experiencing, and the expression and differentiation of emotional experience, we suggest that with these patients it is necessary a greater emphasis on emotional tasks. The difficulties regarding therapeutic alliance are highlight and the implications for clinical decision making are discussed. We also suggest taking alexithymia into account on the case conceptualization with the aim of anticipating and reducing difficulties on the therapeutic alliance and to centre the attention in goals more focused on alexithymia functioning then on its consequences.

Keywords : Alexithymia; Emotional processing; Psychotherapy; Therapeutic alliance.

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