I will do anything for you, but don’t abandon me - burnout and “agency”

Authors

  • Rosmarie Kaufmann Gunz

Abstract

In this article a connection is made between „agency” (an altruistic, object-related coping strategy) and burnout. In doing so, the author first describes the characteristics of „agency“ in detail, delineating its course from being a developmental task while learning to bond to becoming a tool for mastering this task - in the attempt to improve attachment to one’s mother - through forced object orientation.

The author then proposes the hypothesis that as an object-related coping strategy „agency“ works especially well for coping with two out of the four developmental tasks; that, however, owing to frustration or self-exploitation and loss of energy, „agency“ will sooner or later turn into a self-related coping strategy.

Through her article, the author makes visible the connections between J. Rosenberg’s body psychotherapy, the principles of the structural approach to self development (Rudolf), attachment research and neurobiology (Huther) as well as the Polyvagal Theory of the autonomic nervous system (Porges).

Keywords Agency; object-related coping strategy; character style; self-related coping strategy; neglect of self-interests; selfregulation; relational regulation; mentalization; conflict; structure; trauma

Author Biography

Rosmarie Kaufmann Gunz

Rosmarie Kaufmann Gunz, MSc, Psychotherapeutin in eigener Praxis seit fast 30 Jahren, Ausbildnerin an einem Institut für Körperpsychotherapie. Co-Leiterin eines Fortbildungsinstitutes für Psychotherapie (Institut für Kompetenzentwicklung). Seit vielen Jahren beschäftigt sie sich mit der Brücke zwischen Theorie und Praxis. Sie sieht sich einer psychodynamischen Sichtweise in der Körperpsychotherapie verpflichtet. Ihr Hauptanliegen gilt der strukturellen psychotherapeutischen Atemarbeit, die sie bei J. Rosenberg erlernt und inzwischen weiterentwickelt hat.

Korrespondenz: Rosmarie Kaufmann Gunz MSc, Institut für Kompetenzentwicklung
Unterdorfstrasse 53/55,
8105 Watt-Regensdorf,
Schweiz

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Published

2010-07-01

How to Cite

Kaufmann Gunz, R. (2010). I will do anything for you, but don’t abandon me - burnout and “agency”. Psychotherapie-Wissenschaft, (3), 174–182. Retrieved from https://psychotherapie-wissenschaft.info/article/view/13

Issue

No. 3 (2010): Psychotherapie Forum 18/3 (veröffentlicht bei Springer Wien New York)

Section

Special Issue

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