Opting Out of the Past: Interpretation Reconsidered

Abstract

This article proposes a paradigm shift from an emphasis on explanation to a concentration on exploration as a way of resolving some problems related to interpretation in analytic treatment. Specifically, it is argued that psychoanalysis can meaningfully proceed by connecting the internal psychological world to current functioning without depending upon connections to the past. The focus is on, but not limited to, the validity and use of reconstructive or genetic interpretations, for example those which purport to connect the past to present behavior, pathological and otherwise. The article also explores the respective roles of the analyst and patient in the interpretation process.

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Notes on contributors

Priscilla F. Kauff

Priscilla F. Kauff, Ph.D., is Clinical Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, New York, New York, and Distinguished Fellow, American Group Psychotherapy Association.