Contemporary transference work and the analytic attitude: aims and methods--a clinical workshop

There are various ways of working as an analyst, and there are various ways of utilizing the concept and the phenomena of transference-countertransference. I hope to draw an adequate picture of a way of working that is called 'working-in-the-transference' as distinct from ways of working that 'analyse transference'. The former has long been practiced by many Jungians as well as by many psychoanalysts. As method, it has aroused controversy in both groups, and is frequently both misunderstood and imitated. It can arouse strong anxiety. It can appear narrow and restrictive. It famously precludes a gamut of activities in which many analysts engage. Is working-in-the-transference old fashioned, or does it deserve to be increasingly appreciated? Can it offer support and validation whilst remaining true to its conception? It was hoped that these questions would be addressed in the clinical material brought to the workshop. The emphasis in the workshop was on active participation and it was hoped that those attending would bring their clinical concerns for discussion.