Clinical issues in psychodynamic psychotherapy with ex-patriates.

This paper addresses certain fundamental issues that frequently emerge in clinical work with ex-patriates—individuals who have chosen to live in a country other than their own, temporarily or permanently. In particular, internal factors integrally involved in the decision to live abroad are examined using clinical examples. These include efforts to re-negotiate issues of separation-individuation, identity formation, narcissistic difficulties, conflicts regarding achievement and/or success and difficulties in proceeding with basic tasks of adulthood. The implications of these motivational factors for psychodynamic psychotherapy are discussed. More specifically, the ways in which these issues appear in treatment and the patient's capacity for insight regarding them1 are considered with respect to the use of optimal treatment technique. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]