Supportive-expressive therapy (SET) is a member of the family of psychodynamic psychotherapies. It focuses on clients’ unconscious motivations, internal and interpersonal conflicts, and past experiences with others that fuel repetitive patterns of maladaptive interpersonal behaviors. Through exploration and interpretation of clients’ narrative about their interpersonal difficulties, the supportive-expressive therapist helps clients gain awareness of their maladaptive relationship patterns and sometimes reach an understanding of their origins. The increase in self-understanding that occurs in the context of a supportive helping relationship is thought to allow clients to make more conscious and adaptive choices, which in turn reduces psychological symptoms.

SET is named after its interventions. Supportive interventions facilitate the developing therapeutic alliance and help clients maintain present level of functioning or bring it to previous baseline. ...

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