Reportedly occurring in phases, intensive residential treatment of children and adolescents is conceptualized here as occurring in four phases: 1) Inductive Phase; 2) Resistive Phase 3) Affective Phase: and 4) Integrative/Implementive Phase. These phases are viewed as clinical manifestations consequent to early developmental aberrations. Delineating these phases is useful in that the focus in each phase differs regarding the overall task, the characteristics of the patient, the therapeutic strategies required, and the transference-countertransference paradigms experienced. With each recurrence of the phasic sequence these aspects difference quantitatively, defenses related to a higher level of ego organizational appear and increase, and the sequential process is seen as a spiral one.