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The upward slope: a study of psychoanalytic transformations.
Norbert Freedman1, Richard Lasky, Rhonda Ward
1Institute for Psychoanalytic Training and Research, New York, USA. norbert.ewf@verizon.net
The Psychoanalytic Quarterly
|April 2, 2009
Summary
This study observed a stepwise progression in mental organization during psychoanalytic sessions, identifying distinct phases of regression, transition, and reorganization for psychic repair.
Area of Science:
- Psychoanalytic theory
- Psychological development
- Clinical psychology
Background:
- Understanding mental organization is crucial in psychoanalysis.
- Psychoanalytic sessions offer a unique window into psychic processes.
- Previous research has explored developmental stages but not this specific progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and describe a stepwise progression in mental organization during psychoanalytic sessions.
- To propose a phase-specific model for psychic repair.
- To illustrate these concepts with detailed clinical examples.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of twelve audiotaped psychoanalytic sessions.
- Application of both quantitative and qualitative research methods.
- Detailed clinical summarization and observational commentary.
Main Results:
- Observation of a 'upward slope' progression in mental organization.
- Identification of three constituent phases: regression (desymbolization, agony of equivalence), transition (disruptive enactment, transitional space), and reorganization (triangulation, symbolic synthesis).
- Advancement of a hypothesis regarding phase-specific progression and psychic repair.
Conclusions:
- Mental organization progresses through distinct, identifiable phases during psychoanalytic treatment.
- Each phase of this progression is associated with specific dynamic processes of psychic repair.
- The 'upward slope' model provides a framework for understanding therapeutic change in psychoanalysis.
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