Löffer-Stastka H, Bukowski X, Kotlowski I, Lichtenegger T, Demonti U (2015) Now Moments in Professional Care - The Importance of Positive Affect In Patient- Therapist Matching. Int J Clin Ther Diagn 3(5), 95-96. 95 http://scidoc.org/IJCTD.php International Journal of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnosis (IJCTD) ISSN 2332-2926 Now Moments in Professional Care - The Importance of Positive Affect in Patient-Therapist Matching Short Communication Löffer-Stastka H * , Bukowski X, Kotlowski I, Lichtenegger T, Demonti U Advanced Postgraduate Program of Psychotherapy Research, Department of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria. *Corresponding Author: Henriette Löffer-Stastka, Advanced Postgraduate Program of Psychotherapy Research, Depart- ment of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria. Tel: 0043-40400-30700 E-mail: henriette.loeffer-stastka@meduniwien.ac.at Received: July 25, 2015 Accepted: August 18, 2015 Published: September 01, 2015 Citation: Löffer-Stastka H, Bukowski X, Kotlowski I, Lichtenegger T, Demonti U (2015) Now Moments in Professional Care - The Impor- tance of Positive Affect In Patient-Therapist Matching. Int J Clin Ther Di- agn 3(5), 95-96. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.19070/2332-2926-1500019 Copyright: Löffer-Stastka H © 2015. This is an open-access article dis- tributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any me- dium, provided the original author and source are credited. Introduction Towards the end of the 1980s Orlinsky & Howard elaborated the general model of psychotherapy based on empirical process studies. The probability to achieve therapeutic success is higher if the following four factors are coordinated: matching of treatment model and disorder, patient and treatment model, the therapist and patient and the therapist and disorder [1]. Even if the model represents a good basis, it has to be extended by other important factors, like the matching of gender or educational level. These in turn depend on the therapist’s believe system of human being. Both gender and level of education are vulnerable to stereotypical thinking. Women are often seen as irritable, emotional and having more social interest. On the other hand, the patient also has a spe- cifc objective in the therapy and preference toward the therapist [2]. His idea often correlated with a certain conception of an up- coming therapy, according to the nosological theories (behavioral theory, system theory, phenomenology etc.). Psychoanalysis has also a long tradition with the subject of match- ing in a therapeutic process. The psychoanalytic method achieves a permanent change in the patient's symptoms, the positive re- sult requires among use of therapeutic interventions that enough time is spent in a positive and caring therapeutic relationship [3]. Knowlegde about the development of symptoms alone had no contribution to the positive changes, it depends on the experi- ence with the analyst [4]. The experience in the ‘here and now’ in a relationship between patient and therapist [5], the counter- transference in the current therapeutic process, involving the fo- cus on early interpretation of the dominant affect in the activated transference relationship in the here and now have to be focused. Furthermore patient’s experience with the psychoanalyst includes affect regulation and affect-perception by the psychoanalyst. Especially the dominance of positive over negative affects con- tributes to a successful treatment [6]. Signifcantly, the regulation of infant’s emotions shows parallels to the psychoanalytic rela- tionship. The mother facilitates the mirroring both negative and positive emotions by her unwavering interest in her infant. So the infant could recognize his own emotions due the tag of mother’s mirrored facial expression. The patient experiences a mirroring of his emotions and a therapist who recognizes externalized in- ternal conficts and is able to contain and work them through with the patient – an effort, that requires an attitude dominated by basic interest for the patient. The positive affect in patient-therapist matching – a basic ingredient for all treatment methods? The treatment techniques dealing with externalizing mechanisms are visualized in a case study based on systemic therapy about a client with somatization disorder. Mr. L felt completely powerless Abstract Regarding clinical work, it is known that especially the positive affect shown to the patient and the continuous unwavering interest in the patient are the main criteria for a successful treatment and treatment planning. Psychoanalysis, as the oldest method of psychotherapy, was concerned very early with the patient-therapist matching and the affective involvement. The development of additional therapies was and is necessary to help people in the best way possibly with various approaches. But what can other professional felds, such as medicine, learn from the concepts of matching, working alliance, mentalized affectivity, focusing the dominant affect, holding or containment? We discuss the importance of the positive affect and pri- mary interest along three cases from the viewpoint of different therapeutic methods. Also, in order to inspire other medical felds that are concerned with authentic clinical care. Keywords: Positive Affect; Unwavering Interest; Matching; Psychoanalysis; Humanistic Approaches.