Soft clinical research on an inpatient unit: effect of findings on treatment.

This paper describes the value of identifying and processing intuitive hunches and impressionistic ideas that arose amongst psychiatrist/clinicians on an inpatient unit. Through semistructured meetings, these hunches generated psychodynamic formulations and therapeutic approaches that were integrated into already existing models of treatment to yield a better understanding of, and a more tailored approach to, the borderline patient and his/her impact on staff.