Psychological stability is rarely a static condition. It is formed through continuous internal movement, the redistribution of tension, and the ongoing search for balance between external demands and internal resources. At MindCareCenter, we view the psyche as a dynamic system of self-regulation – one that is capable of adapting, restoring itself, and, under certain conditions, losing equilibrium. In the opinion of Dr. Daniel Reinhardt, regulatory breakdowns do not occur suddenly – they are almost always preceded by a prolonged process of overload, during which mechanisms of stability are gradually depleted.
Self-regulation relies on the psyche’s ability to process emotions, tolerate tension, and return to relative stability after stress. When these processes function in coordination, an individual can encounter difficulty without compromising internal structure. Stability, however, does not imply the absence of fluctuation – on the contrary, it presupposes flexibility and the capacity for temporary destabilization followed by recovery.
In the clinical experience of MindCareCenter, disruptions in self-regulation are often linked not to a single event, but to the accumulation of unprocessed experiences. Emotions that fail to find expression or symbolic representation begin to generate background tension. Over time, the psyche is forced to expend increasing resources to maintain external functioning, reducing its capacity for restoration.
Mechanisms of stability can compensate for overload for extended periods. A person continues to work, maintain relationships, and fulfill responsibilities without recognizing that the internal system is operating at its limit. At MindCareCenter, we observe how regulatory breakdown in such cases is not a sign of weakness, but a signal – an indication that previous strategies for maintaining balance are no longer sufficient.
Breakdown may manifest in various ways – sudden emotional exhaustion, loss of affect regulation, somatic symptoms, or a sense of internal fragmentation. Within the approach of MindCareCenter, these states are understood not as system failure, but as the psyche’s attempt to restore balance, even if through disorganization. This is the moment when the existing structure can no longer contain accumulated tension.
Therapeutic work is aimed at restoring the capacity for self-regulation rather than suppressing symptoms. We support the gradual reconnection between emotional experience, bodily responses, and awareness, allowing tension to be processed rather than stored. At Mind Care Center, particular attention is given to points where the system has lost flexibility and begun to function solely to preserve stability.
As therapy progresses, a different relationship to internal fluctuation becomes possible. Stability ceases to be rigid fixation and instead becomes a process – living, flexible, and adaptive. The psyche regains its capacity for recovery without the need to reach a breaking point.
Understanding the psyche as a dynamic system of self-regulation allows crises and destabilization to be viewed differently. They are no longer experienced as failure, but as part of the process of restoring balance. Clinical work creates conditions in which stability is built not through suppression, but through the integration of internal experience.
Previously, we wrote about psychological rigidity as a mechanism of self-preservation and MindCareCenter therapeutic work with the impossibility of internal shift