Psychoanalytic initial interview and OPD-CA interview--no balancing act!

The application of the OPD-CA (Operationalised Psychodynamic Diagnostics in Childhood and Adolescence) for diagnostic purposes during the initial interview is no abdication of a psychoanalytic attitude. The study group OPD (2006, p. 289) proposed a "moderate structured action" for the investigation of the axes "interpersonal relations", "conflicts", "psychic structure", and "preconditions for treatment". But this is not a schematic checking. Space should be provided explicitly to a scenic development of the relationship-dynamics. In this article, the intersubjective character and the uniqueness of the conversation are underlined. Thus, the resulting diagnosis cannot be seen independently of the inner attitude and the concrete intervention of the interviewer. Certain phases of the interview that regularly ensue on the basis of the inherent dynamics and the "choreography" of a first meeting with a patient, are described in regard to the dynamic aspects and their significance in the OPD-Diagnostics. They are balanced with scenic points of view. Possible difficulties and suggestions for the practical handling are discussed on the basis of a case vignette.