Recent trends in psychiatry, such as shorter hospitalization and the renewed preeminence of biological treatments, are changing the practice of psychiatric nursing. The traditional tension‐reduction model of anxiety and defense mechanisms is less suitable for clients in shortterm settings where somatic therapies are often the treatment of choice. For nurse therapists who wish to do more than alleviate symptoms, object‐relations theory offers an alternative therapeutic framework that focuses on behavioral change, yet is suitable for seriously ill clients. Object‐relations theory allows the nurse to assess the developmental level of clients' behavior in terms of specific ego functions. Through therapeutic interventions focused on repairing developmental deficiencies in the client's ego, nurses can facilitate significant behavioral c