objective psychotherapy
a treatment procedure developed primarily for use with institutionalized patients and patients with mild-to-moderate emotional disturbances. To reduce the subjectivity resulting from a personal relationship with the therapist, all therapeutic communication is carried out in writing. The patient answers written autobiographical questions, relates and comments on dreams, and reacts to assigned readings. In return, the therapist gives interpretations and points out underlying motivations in written memoranda, including a memorandum as a whole, which summarizes all the insights reached in the process. [developed by U.S. psychoanalyst Benjamin Karpman (1886–1962)]