Control Mastery Theory
The Control-Mastery Theory is on Mount Zion Psychotherapy Research (now San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group developed) theory (Weiss & Sampson 1986) from the field of psychoanalysis . The starting point was the observation that patients sometimes behave towards therapists in such a way that the therapists can interpret this as a relationship test.
The theory is based on the assumption that the patient acquired unconscious schemata in childhood . He enters the analytical situation with unconscious fears and expectations that are organized according to the schema and also organizes the perceptions made there according to his unconscious schemata.
If the acquired schemas are pathogenic , the patient unconsciously fears that achieving the goals aimed at in psychotherapy could endanger himself or others ( caregivers ). The therapy goals are therefore initially unattainable for him.
If the patients are consciously and unconsciously highly motivated to solve their problems and lose their symptoms , they will continuously check the pathogenic beliefs in the therapy situation with the therapist (compare reality test in behavioral therapy ). The therapist's task is therefore to support the patient in refuting the pathogenic beliefs in the therapy situation.
example
A child who has continually experienced rejection from their parents develops a pattern in which they characterize themselves as negligible - neither from parents nor from others. Due to the strong bond between the child and its parents, this scheme is very stable. In giving up pathogenic belief, the patient fears weakening the bond with the parents. In this situation, the therapist's task is to remain generally friendly and accepting, so that the patient can see and change the pathogenic conviction “Everyone rejects me, and there are good reasons for it”.
literature
- J. Weiss: Control Master Theory. In: W. Sledge, M. Hersen (Eds.): Encyclopedia of Psychotherapy. Academic Press, New York 2002.
- J. Weiss: Clinical applications of control-master-theory. In: Current Opinion in Psychiatry. 8, 1995, pp. 154-156.
- J. Brockmann, I. Sammet: The Control Mastery Theory by Weiss. In: A. Gerlach, A.-M. Schlösser, A. Springer (Ed.): Psychoanalysis with and without a couch. Psychosozial-Verlag, 2003, pp. 280-293.
- C. Albani, G. Blaser, M. Geyer, H. Kächele: The "Control-Mastery" theory - a cognitively oriented psychoanalytic treatment theory by Joseph Weiss. In: Forum of Psychoanalysis. 15, 1999, pp. 224-236.