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The Uncharted Territory: Time Perspective Research Meets Clinical Practice. Temporal Focus in Psychotherapy Across Adulthood and Old Age

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Time Perspective Theory; Review, Research and Application

Abstract

This chapter demonstrates how maturing time perspective research can inform clinical practice and points to the role of Zimbardo in bringing TP studies in mainstream psychology. I describe the novel tasks of applying clinical discoveries into study of temporal phenomena and elaborate the notions of balanced temporality, optimal time perspective and time competence. Scientist-practitioners’ individual experience of time and personal biography are discussed as they shape their research and clinical interests. Multidimensional approach to study of TP applied in my own research (Kazakina, Time perspective of older adults: Relationships to attachment style, psychological well-being and psychological distress. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Columbia University, 1999; Kazakina, Time perspective of older adults: Research and clinical practice. In: International studies in time perspective, 2013) provided the foundation of my clinical work. I demonstrate how temporal focus of clinical strategies can be integrated with psychodynamic, cognitive- behavioral and existential approaches. Clinical cases point out the development of temporal interventions targeting symptoms of psychological distress and challenges of life transitions in adulthood and old age. Facilitation of optimal time perspective in the process of psychotherapy is associated with my patients positive functioning (self-actualization, interpersonal effectiveness, well-being). The further directions of TP research and psychotherapy are discussed.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    I would like to thank my dissertation advisor, Dr. Elizabeth Midlarsky for her thoughtful guidance and insightful suggestion to examine the relationship between temporal phenomena and attachment style (capacity for trusting and enduring relationship), an essential but then rarely investigated aspect of functioning in late life.

  2. 2.

    Please see Kazakina (1999) for the full discussion of limitations of the study and findings. The brief description of study design, variables and measures can be found in Kazakina (2013).

  3. 3.

    A careful consideration is given to the generalizability of results obtained in the older sample (65+) to the middle-aged and younger individuals (21+).

  4. 4.

    Clinical Cases : patients’ names and background details are changed to protect confidentiality.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Independent Private Practice, East Brunswick, NJ, USA

    Elena Kazakina

Authors
  1. Elena Kazakina
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Correspondence to Elena Kazakina .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland

    Maciej Stolarski

  2. Groupe de Recherche en Psychologie Sociale, Institut de Psychologie, University of Lyon, Lyon-Bron, France

    Nicolas Fieulaine

  3. GGZ Veenendaal, Veenendaal, The Netherlands

    Wessel van Beek

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Kazakina, E. (2015). The Uncharted Territory: Time Perspective Research Meets Clinical Practice. Temporal Focus in Psychotherapy Across Adulthood and Old Age. In: Stolarski, M., Fieulaine, N., van Beek, W. (eds) Time Perspective Theory; Review, Research and Application. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07368-2_32

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