The Spectrum of Analytic Interaction: A Contemporary Freudian Perspective

The authors set forth a contemporary Freudian perspective proposing that enacted interaction be viewed as a spectrum of distinct yet overlapping clinical phenomena: acting in/acting out, transference actualization, enactment, countertransference actualization, and boundary violation. At the center of this spectrum are enactments proper, interactions in which both parties construct and sustain a process that embodies a crucial aspect of their affective relationship. By conceptualizing these interactions as a continuum that is patient-focused at one end and analyst-focused at the other, the authors delineate a range of modalities for analytic intervention. They contend that an oscillation between monadic and dyadic perspectives is integral to grappling with the interactive dimension of the analytic process.