tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547886101764404344.post8418390723647786618..comments2024-03-24T20:50:06.083-04:00Comments on Lessons in Psychology: Freedom, Liberation, and Reaction: On Getting Stuck and Unstuck: Empathy and Improvisation in PsychotherapyWynn Schwartz, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689137521075228568noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547886101764404344.post-52942521728575604482014-02-14T09:54:51.673-05:002014-02-14T09:54:51.673-05:00On the contrary, it looks like you have an excelle...On the contrary, it looks like you have an excellent understanding. The concept of a "transference neurosis" involves 2 notions: "transference", a projection or assumption of sorts that may not fit or be serviceable, and "neurosis", which suggests a conflict with some rigid, insistent, or otherwise non cognizant aspect. So yes, the problem would show up in how the therapist and client get along since a transferential misunderstanding can bollox up their encounter. The classical solution is to interpret the transference, to make it conscious, so that the people involved have a better chance of negotiating or reframing their understanding and interaction. This is also partly why it is through the analysis or interpretation of transference that "resistance" is overcome, dissolved, or clarified. If resistance involves unnecessary barriers to psychological freedom or choice, then the misguided perceptions and interactions produced by transference point to the rigid and unexamined barrier. Wynn Schwartz, Ph.D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03689137521075228568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547886101764404344.post-83229759319043174912014-02-13T19:54:32.679-05:002014-02-13T19:54:32.679-05:00"The participants in therapy will be changed ..."The participants in therapy will be changed when they accomplish something difficult because the players themselves have to overcome the difficulty of getting along. Freud, of course, knew this and saw it as essential for progress. He called it the “transference neurosis”. Working it through may require a change in values, knowledge, and competence for each participant."<br /><br />I'm having trouble understanding the concept of the "transference neurosis". My understanding of transference is that the term refers to the analysand's unconscious projection of thoughts and feelings toward another significant individual onto the person of the analyst. Does this tension result in a "transference neurosis", subsequently leading to the need for analysand and analyst to overcome the challenge of getting along? <br /><br />-R. DiGiammarinoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547886101764404344.post-57034109586292310242013-09-20T22:57:53.315-04:002013-09-20T22:57:53.315-04:00This is a beautiful piece that made me think of a ...This is a beautiful piece that made me think of a couple of things. As an MSPP doctoral candidate and future psychologist, empathy plays a major role in the profession I have chosen. <br /><br />First, your blog made me realize that feeling empathy towards a client is only fulfilling half the job. The full job would be to make sure the client is aware of our genuine attempt to be with them in the moment. I completely agree with your statement observation that, "Empathy is necessary since its absence may be why the therapy is stuck in the first place". I think I would extend it in saying that often times empathy on our (the clinician) behalf if there, however, it is the client who is unaware or unconvinced of its existence. This ultimately is what I believe causes therapies to become "stuck". Empathy is what helps the client's experience of being heard and it is what generates a sense of realness, a sense that they exist. To be genuinely in the moment and be spontaneous should be the goal for the therapist.<br /><br />Secondly, your blog Dr. Schwartz, has made me revisit Winnicott. You state that, "In improvisation, a space is created for moves and choices, spontaneous gestures, that neither party has made before. Winnicott called this the transitional phenomena". Undoubtedly, this resonated with me as I immediately thought of Winnicott's idea of transitional space and holding environment. The transitional space idea is really powerful because such a space is where I feel therapy really focuses on. It is a place that can be utilized to explore and wrestle with new ideas while bringing in information that you already have. I believe that most of the healing takes place in this transitional space.<br /><br />Additionally, I also thought about the concept of the holding environment for clients. Creating a nurturing and trusting environment where a client doesn't feel judged is key to building rapport in an empathetic and therapeutic setting. As you poignantly observe, "The participants in therapy will be changed when they accomplish something difficult because the players themselves have to overcome the difficulty of getting along". Creating a therapeutic dyad with a client may be challenging but it's possible (and highly necessary) for the viability of future sessions.<br /><br />~ G.CruzAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547886101764404344.post-66207392798405476462013-05-11T19:54:51.539-04:002013-05-11T19:54:51.539-04:00This is very helpful for young clinicians like mys...This is very helpful for young clinicians like myself to follow. Thanks Wynn Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10499053527798550061noreply@blogger.com