The Nazi’s Daughter: The Therapist as Jewish Mother

The article gives an inside look at a case where posttraumatic stress is intertwined with disturbances in object relations and ego-identity. The patient was a victim of a brutal authoritarian father who had abused her sexually. The trauma left her powerless and isolated. The treatment was aimed at enabling the patient to achieve connection and empowerment. Hypnotherapy, psychoanalytic psychotherapy and hypnosis allowed the patient to understand and overcome symptoms and underlying conflicts in the context of the therapeutic relationship.

In spite of regressions and resistances during the course of treatment, therapy yielded the following results: 1. Symptoms were in remission at the end of treatment, and at one- and two-year follow-ups. 2. During the course of psychotherapy the patient was able to process traumatic events cognitively and affectively. 3. There were corrective changes in relatedness modes. 4. Modifications in object internalization and representation were made.