She reveals a childhood with a mother who was highly competitive and critical. Sarah learned that "shining" too brightly was dangerous.
Instead of just "fixing" the panic, the therapist and Sarah use this formulation as a . Psychoanalytic Case Formulation
Sarah's panic often happens right after she receives praise at work. She reveals a childhood with a mother who
To cope, she uses intellectualization (over-explaining her problems to avoid feeling them) or projection (thinking her boss is angry with her when she is actually angry with herself). The Turning Point: The Formulation (The Map) Psychoanalytic Case Formulation
The therapist doesn't use a checklist; they listen for "echoes". In Sarah's case, the story unfolds through several lenses:
She begins to see herself as the "author" of her life rather than a victim of her symptoms.