Role of imaginary companion in promoting the psychotherapeutic process.

An imaginary companion (IC) has been considered to be a transitory phenomenon sometimes seen in the normal developmental process of children. In recent years, however, it has been observed that ICs are related to various disorders, and their clinical significance is again attracting notice. Although an IC may in certain ways aggravate the patient's symptoms and regression, an IC may also serve to advance the therapy, for example by indicating the location of the patient's troubles, or acting as an intermediary between the therapist and patient. In cases of dissociative (conversion) disorders, it is generally difficult for patients to verbalize their troubles, but the present patients gained insight into themselves by closely examining their ICs. Imaginary companions are not simply entities incidental to the disorder, and by incorporating them into the therapeutic strategy as a presence supporting the patient's growth, it is possible that the psychotherapy may proceed more smoothly.