Team Supervision in a Dialysis Unit as an Alternative to Psychotherapy with Dialysis Patients

The psychological and psychosocial situation of dialysis patients as a result of their chronic renal failure and dialysis treatment has been described in detail (Czaczkes & De-Nour, 1978; Speidel et al., 1978; Levy, 1981). There is general agreement that the period directly before commencement of the dialysis as well as the period following the resolution of somatic difficulties at the beginning of the dialysis treatment are times of deep psychological crisis. Psychological help is needed to assist the dialysis patient in overcoming these crises.