摘要：Abstract. The aim of this paper was to study the limits and scope of care of a critically ill patient in an applied psychology service of a private university. For such purpose, the change of a male patient, adult, diagnosed with severe depression throughout the brief psychodynamic psychotherapy process lasting a year and 23 sessions was evaluated. The evaluations took place in three stages: early psychotherapy, middle of the process and termination. The instruments used were the Beck Depression Inventory, the Operational Adaptive Diagnostic Scale self-report and the Core Conflictual Relationship Theme. The patient remained stable, comparing the initial evaluation to the final results, and worsened on the assessments made in the middle of the process. Results are discussed considering the severity of the case and patient’s and psychotherapist’s resources in the institutional context. Keywords: focal psychotherapy, change in psychotherapy, research in result and process.
