Curiouser and curiouser: researching the K link in psychoanalytic therapy

Abstract

This chapter describes a piece of research, based on a single case study of psychoanalytic therapy with a young ADHD boy in care. It deals with the idea of using theorized thematic analysis, a branch of grounded theory, as an approach to tracking the unconscious dynamics in the therapy to understand better Simon’s internal situation and the shifts. The findings would add to the growing case for relational therapy for severely traumatized ADHD children like Simon, in place of more narrow medical treatment and behaviour management. The research takes its general methodological principles from thematic analysis: “a method for identifying, analysing and reporting patterns within data”. Thematic analysis has much in common with grounded theory, but without the aim of developing theory out of data analysis. A theme captures something important about the data in relation to the research question, and represents some level of patterned response or meaning within the data set.