Commentary. Freud in the stroke ward: psychodynamic theory for stroke rehabilitation professionals

Will you please get out of stroke with your negative views, you're doing nothing for the survivors you interact with. With 100% recovery protocols there is no need for any psychologists or psychiatrists. That secondary problem won't exist because your patient will be looking forward to 100% recovery after doing the EXACT STROKE REHAB PROTOCOLS AS PRESCRIBED!  If you can't see that, get the hell out of stroke and leave it to much better and smarter people.

Commentary. Freud in the stroke ward: psychodynamic theory for stroke rehabilitation professionals

Huw Green

Received 01 Feb 2022, Accepted 01 May 2022, Published online: 13 May 2022

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• https://doi.org/10.1080/10749357.2022.2075080
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ABSTRACT

Background

Despite the increase in the number of clinical psychologists contributing to stroke care, the psychosocial aspects of rehabilitation will of necessity continue to be addressed by other rehabilitation professionals The clinical psychology of stroke rehabilitation is a growing field, with an extant literature reflecting different theoretical schools of psychotherapy. Psychoanalytic ideas have begun to enter the practice of neurorehabilitation, but with so far little written about stroke specifically.

Method

In this commentary, I provide a brief overview of central themes in psychoanalytic theory, and link them to stroke rehabilitation using clinical vignettes.

Results & Conclusion

I argue that, by bearing strong feelings; attending to multiple communicative channels; considering transference and countertransference; and accepting more fully the pessimistic and despairing aspects of our patients’ experiences, we can become more psychologically effective rehabilitation professionals.