The Umbilical.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychoanalysis
• Gender Studies

Background:

• Psychoanalytic theory traditionally views parental and social involvement as crucial for development.
• Unconscious bias in analysis can lead to interpretations resembling conversion therapy, alienating patients.
• Early relational trauma affects all gender and sexual identities, influencing relationship formation and experience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore analytic work with a young transgender man experiencing exile and dysregulation due to early relational trauma.
• To examine the role of projective identification in exiling unwanted feelings and seeking belonging.
• To analyze the impact of early relational trauma on gender and sexual identity development within psychoanalysis.

Main Methods:

• Clinical case study of once-weekly analytic work with a young trans man.
• Exploration of Louise Bourgeois's artwork to understand projective identification.
• Psychoanalytic interpretation of the patient's experiences of exile and dysregulation.

Main Results:

• Early relational trauma can lead to an exiled Self and a dysregulated state of mind.
• Projective identification may serve as a defense mechanism to externalize unwanted feelings.
• Therapeutic analysis can help individuals integrate exiled parts of the Self and find belonging.

Conclusions:

• Psychoanalytic treatment must be sensitive to the impact of early relational trauma on non-normative gender and sexual identities.
• The concept of projective identification offers insight into how individuals manage difficult emotions and seek connection.
• Careful analytic interpretation is crucial to avoid pathologizing or alienating patients with complex identities and trauma histories.