Toward a conceptual alliance about therapeutic alliance: a voyage through the Inferno

I suggest that there is not a conceptual consensus in psychoanalysis regarding the therapeutic alliance. Some argue that the unobjectionable part of the transference should be facilitated; some argue that there is no unobjectionable part of the transference, that all parts should be subjected to analysis. There are those who argue that the therapeutic alliance exists in early treatment; others who argue that it exists later. I suggest using a classical text, Dante's Inferno, as a paradigm for a journey of self-discovery. By reviewing the moments of hesitation that Dante experiences with Virgil and how these are overcome, we cast light on our current problem on the nature of the therapeutic alliance and how to facilitate it. The components of the unobjectionable are related to Winnicott's idea of the maturational processes and Hartmann's (1958) ideas of the primary and secondary autonomous function. Based on their considerations, we make recommendations for use of the therapeutic alliance.