Psychotherapy and Death

April 2nd, 2007

Death is to be evaluated in two major ways in a dynamic therapy. First, its about one’s fear and concerns about his/her own death. Second, its about grief and emotional pain that emerges from a loss of a loved one.

Both of them are very much related to one’s anxiety about his/her own end.

In dynamic therapy, the notion of death, or consciousness thereof is a mean to open the individual’s path to activate his/her will to life.

Theory believes that the fact to know that someday you are going to die would help your therapeutic process. It’s true that for some people, it acts as a motivating force to know that he/she isn’t immortal. However, for some people its just like “if I am going to day anyway, why would I bother about my life”. So this awareness of death would help or not, it depends on the person.

To create this awareness, some techniques are used. Most of them are about dreaming of one’s own funeral, burial, etc. Writing of one’s own obituary is another method of initiating awareness about death.

Dream analysis and interpretation is also used in this process. Symbols such as seeing yourself wounded or your body modified is usually interpreted as referring to your fears of death.

Briefly, it may help if you realize that you are not going to live forever and every second of your life is worth living.

One Response to “Psychotherapy and Death”

  1. Samuel Lopez De Victoria, Ph.D. Says:

    You mentioned, “Briefly, it may help if you realize that you are not going to live forever and every second of your life is worth living.”

    Keep in mind that some believe they are going to live forever but not in the corporeal body. 🙂

    Samuel Lopez De Victoria, Ph.D., L.M.H.C., N.C.C.
    http://WWW.DrSam.tv

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