“Generative Caring” Psychotherapy for Patients Who Are Reluctant to Talk

Patients seek psychotherapy for relief of symptoms and resolution o f problems in living. Yet, they sometimes balk at the prospect of having to choose a topic without being prompted by therapist questions. This paper suggests that this apparently self-sabotaging behavior represents an acting out of a fundamental existential dilemma for many individuals, i.e., to be or not to be an adult. Adulthood comes with the heavy burden of responsibility for making life choices, and the possibility of making the wrong choices. The psychotherapeutic situation, with its demand that the patient choose a topic, is a microcosm of the adult-adult relationship. The author proposes that the proper treatment for these patients is Generative Caring Psychotherapy, which promotes emotional growth and facilitates patients’ transition from childhood dependence to adult responsibility.