The altered states of consciousness that arise in psychotherapist during work with schizophrenia patients: complication of psychotherapy or its tool?

The article describes the altered states of consciousness which can arise in psychotherapist in the course of work with schizophrenia patients. The author argues that the dissociation mechanism protects therapist’s consciousness from negative aspects of the client's specific influence on his or her environment. Several ways of overcoming and prevention of these conditions and their consequences are considered: activation of the therapeutic position during a session, «clinical intellectualization», the subsequent analysis of mechanisms of dissociation development and fair discussion of the therapeutic situation with a patient. Also the article provides the description of the productive position of the therapist, labeled as "operated dissociation".