Training residents in psychotherapy for psychotic patients : curricular constraints and clinical suggestions.

In recent years, residency programs have neglected to teach psychotherapy for psychotic patients to their trainees. This training has value in teaching residents how to more fully understand psychopathology, to understand the concept of the unconscious, and to work more effectively in using combined pharmacopsychotherapy with psychotic patients. The author suggests that an "affect-centered" psychotherapy approach is both clinically appropriate and educationally useful with psychotic patients. Recommendations for teaching this approach are given.