Cite as (APA style): Arabadzhiev, Z., Tomcheva, S. & Dimitrova, S. (2026). Conceptualization of Mental Status through the Balance Model and Actual Capabilities. The Global Psychotherapist, 6(1), 259-269
Abstract: The article examines an integrative approach to the therapeutic process by comparing information from mental status, the balance model, and the conflict processing model.
Mental status is a phenomenological framework that describes the observable manifestations of mental functioning. The balance model provides a structural context in which these manifestations can be understood as the result of the dynamic relationships between the four main areas of human experience. The conflict processing model adds a procedural perspective – it provides information on how current conflicts are experienced and points to their meaningfully integrated forms.
The integration between them enables simultaneous diagnostic, psychodynamic, and therapeutic understanding of human suffering. Thus, mental status serves as a “mirror” of the balance among the physical, active, relational, and meaningful dimensions of personality, and the therapeutic process can be directed toward restoring inner harmony and meaning.
Keywords: Positive Psychotherapy, Balance Model, conflict processing model, primary and secondary actual capacities, mental status