The use of detachment in narcissistic and borderline conditions

In summary, looking at some of the ways in which detachment issues are organized and expressed in the psychoanalytic treatment of differing character structures, makes the need for a finely tuned interpersonal environment in analysis particularly compelling. Finding the appropriate spot to occupy in the dimension of distance and closeness with a detached patient depends heavily on the ability to maintain an empathic "feel" for the conflict that is closest to the surface of the detachment, and cannot easily be dealt with by broad rules of thumb or diagnostic conceptualizations of detachment as simply a global entity.