The First Interview in Positive Psychotherapy

Abstract

The “First Interview of Positive Psychotherapy” applied at the outset of therapy offers a semi-structured way of diagnosis and therapy planning, gathering as comprehensively as possible the influences of life and environment that have been conducive to health or illness (Peseschkian N 1977: Positive Psychotherapie. p. 226–270; Peseschkian N, Deidenbach H 1988: WIPPF; Peseschkian 1991: Positive Psychotherapie und Psychosomatik). It allows to shorten therapy by early understanding of the psychodynamic and socio-dynamic background. A short-term therapy (Tritt et al. 1999) needs a clear common understanding of symptoms, subconscious conflicts, personality capacities, and resources for the client and the therapist. Finding out the patients’ inner conflicts, the functions of the symptoms, or the personality traits requires a holistic overview about the clients’ every day situation, relations, and history to start with an effective therapy, in which the patient becomes an active part. In the First Interview of Positive Psychotherapy (PPT), the symptom, with its influence in the actual situation on a basis of inner value conflicts, can become clear. The timeline and biographic experiences pave the way to a psychodynamic and cultural understanding of oneself and the basic concepts. Therapists find out clients’ and social environment’s resources in four fields and encourage self-help for patient and family on a humanistic basis and with psychodynamic understanding, including systemic and family therapy elements. The interactive process with the client follows a five-stage principle of communication (Kirillov I. Basic course in positive psychotherapy. Riga. Russian language. 2006. p.135–139. Remmers A, Boessmann U. Das Erstinterview. Bonn. German language. 2011. Peseschkian H, Remmers A. Positive Psychotherapie. München: Ernst Reinhardt Verlag; 2013) and becomes a basis for a strong therapeutic alliance, founded on a commonly reflected model of understanding disorders in its functions and the underlying individual earlier functional concepts. Treatment plans are carried out with the active participation of the patients. The First Interview of Nossrat Peseschkian was first described in 1977, later formatted as a semi-structured questionnaire in 1988, and revised in 1991.

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