Use of the Rorschach in Planning Psychotherapy

Abstract

Research has shown that the Rorschach can be used to identify people who benefit from psychotherapy; the critical variable in that assessment is form level. One way of looking at form level is as a reflection of ego strength, and one can conclude that the level of ego strength and all of the implications regarding information-processing, meaning-making, and the capacity for logical and realistic thinking would, then, seem to be associated with benefiting from psychotherapy. This finding was extended to suggest that this Rorschach assessment of ego strength is related to the kind of psychotherapy a person might or should be offered; that is, whether it should be supportive or exploratory or short-term and problem-centered. Rorschach data can also be helpful in identifying whether treatment-disruptive transferential reactions or resistances exist. In light of the information which can be gleaned from the Rorschach, it seems reasonable to suggest that the Rorschach should be used routinely in the planning of psychotherapy.