Some communicative properties of the bipersonal field

This paper delineates three major types of communicative bipersonal fields: Type A, the symbolic field of illusion and play; Type B, the field of action in discharge and projective identification; and Type C, the static field characterized by impenetrable barriers, falsifications, destruction of meaning, and a rupture of the link between patient and therapist or analyst. The development of this conceptualization is traced through a review of the author's prior contributions and the relevant literature. Several illustrative clinical vignettes are presented. A number of major implications of the basic formulation are discussed, including their relevance to individual communicative styles, the nature of contents and defenses in each field, the distinctive interventions required, and the interaction between patient and therapist in each of the three communicative modes.