Despite the enormous progress in the pharmacological and cognitive-behavioral treatments of panic disorder over the last 30 years, these treatments often provide only temporary or partial relief and many patients continue to experience persistent anxiety symptoms after the discontinuation of treatment. Substantial evidence exists that intrapsychic conflict and characterological features play a central role in the genesis and onset of panic disorder as well as the frequency of relapse after the termination of treatment. Many clinicians believe that psychodynamic psychotherapy is the best-suited approach to address these issues. Based on extensive clinical experience and written by distinguished experts in the field, the Manual of Panic-Focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapy is the first manual to comprehensively examine the usefulness of exploratory psychotherapy in the treatment of panic disorder. It suggests that psychodynamic approaches can aid both psychopharmacological and cognitive-behavioral treatments and can often resolve panic symptoms in many patients when used as the sole treatment modality. The authors catalog psychological factors commonly present in panic disorder patients and describe how to address them within a psychodynamic psychotherapy. A wealth of clinical vignettes and a complete case example illustrate the psychodynamic approach to this disorder. Other treatment issues including defense mechanisms, transference, termination of treatment, and the use of this method in conjunction with other therapeutic approaches are also covered.

Trauma Focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapy describes a step-by-step approach to a brief evidence-based psychodynamic psychotherapy for PTSD, focusing on veterans. This therapy program aims to develop patients' capacity to better reflect on their experiences and develop an integrated self-awareness of the various factors that affect their mental states and symptoms, all of which contribute to PTSD. The book begins with an overview of the psychodynamic factors relevant to treatment of PTSD, then proceeds to describe the therapy program, articulating how to address potential barriers to engaging the patient, including mistrust, disruptions in narrative coherence, dissociation, shame, and ongoing terror. A chapter is also devoted to discussing the impact of COVID-19 on traumatized patients and the treatment of trauma.

Child and Adolescent Anxiety Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, CAPP, is a new, manualized, tested, 24-session psychotherapeutic approach to working psychodynamically with youth with anxiety disorders. This book describes how clinicians intervene by collaboratively identifying the meanings of anxiety symptoms and maladaptive behaviors and to communicate the emotional meaning of these symptoms to the child. The treatment is conducted from a developmental perspective and the book contains clinical examples of how to approach youth of varying ages. The authors demonstrate that CAPP can help youth: * Reduce anxiety symptoms by developing an understanding of the emotional meaning of symptoms * Enhance children's skill of reflection and self-observation of one's own and others' motivations (improvement in symptom-specific reflective functioning) * Diminish use of avoidance, dependence and rigidity by showing that underlying emotions (e.g. guilt, shame, anger), as well as conflicted wishes and desires can be tolerated and understood * Understand fantasies and personal emotional significance surrounding the anxiety symptoms to reduce symptoms' magical qualities and impact on the child The manual provides a description of psychodynamic treatment principles and technique and offers a guide to opening, middle, and termination phases of this psychotherapy. It contains chapters on the historical background of psychodynamic child psychotherapy, on developmental aspects of child psychotherapy, and on the nature of parent involvement in the treatment. It will be useful for clinicians from diverse therapy backgrounds and it will appeal to the student reader, as well as to the experienced clinician.