Habib Davanloo was the developer of Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP), a type of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy that has gained popularity in recent decades.
Davanloo's work is bold, original, and compelling, yet often presented with a certainty that leaves little room for reflection or alternative viewpoints. Deconstructing Davanloo offers another path: reading his cases with space open for context, critique, and dialogue about multiple levels of meaning. By engaging his ideas thoughtfully, we aim to support the evolving, creative development of the ISTDP tradition.
Episode 23: The Case of the Machine Gun Woman, part 1
In this episode Deb and Maury start reading the 2nd case in Davanloo's Unlocking the Unconscious (1990) - the case of the machine gun woman. They read the opening paragraphs and wax philosophical about what Davanloo meant by a "direct view" of the "core neurotic structure," and what these terms suggest about how we conceptualize the psyche in ISTDP. They also consider the function of time pressure, and Deb brings in some historical information about the practice of psychotherapy by American shrinks on the front lines of WWII.
References
Davanloo, H. (1990). Unlocking the Unconscious. Wiley.
Moskowitz, E. S. (2001). In therapy we trust: America's obsession with self-fulfillment. JHU Press.
28 Jun 2026
Episode 21 with special guest Peter Lilliengren
Note: We accidentally skipped a number when numbering the eps, so ep 22 was published before ep 21.
In this episode we welcome clinician, teacher, and researcher Peter Lilliengren to share his perspective on our reading of Davanloo. Peter shares some thoughtful critiques, and our dialogue extends to group dynamics of the ISTDP community— can we bear conflict and strain? Can we disagree and still remain cohesive? We are grateful for his participation and his modeling of collegial dialogue.
References:
Johansson, R., & Lilliengren, P. (2026). Effectiveness and mechanisms of Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression: a reanalysis of a randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 17, 1815946.
Join us all at the IEDTA conference (https://www.iedta.net/iedta2026conference) in Dubrovnik in October, 2026!
18 Jun 2026
Episode 22 with special guest Jon Frederickson
In this episode, Deb and Maury welcome special guest, Jon Frederickson, MSW, of the New Washington School of Psychiatry. A beloved teacher of ISTDP, Jon shares his insights about training with Davanloo, and subsequent impacts on training culture.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
15 ratings
Contact Deconstructing Davanloo
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
