"I Don't Just Want to Be the Angry One Anymore" – A Psychodynamic Case Study on Emotion Work, Confrontation and Symbolic Self-Integration in a Traumatized Veteran in Online Counseling
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This psychodynamic case study presents a 12-session online therapy process with a 37-year-old German veteran suffering from affective dysregulation, psychosomatic symptoms, and relational conflict following military deployments in Mali and Afghanistan. Rooted in early violence and neglect, the client exhibited narcissistic defenses, alexithymia, and identity diffusion.Therapy combined structured confrontation and symbolic emotional work through art. Central to the process was the emergence of a self-representation—a lion embodying both threat and care—which enabled narrative and emotional integration.Despite the digital format, a stable therapeutic alliance developed. The client gained access to previously split-off affective states and redefined his role as father and partner. This case highlights the depth potential of psychodynamic online work with structurally vulnerable, trauma-affected clients.
