Discussion: The Analyst's Involvement in the Creative Aspect of Analysis

Abstract

Recent formulations on the psychology of creativity in the analytic context, such as Albert Rothenberg's “homospacial thinking,” Arnold Modell's “unconscious metaphoric thought,” and Thomas Ogden's “transformational thinking,” are discussed. These concepts enable previously unconnected experiences to be combined within the mind, while emphasizing interpersonal imaginative processes such as identification and empathic knowledge; the dual cognitive features of these formulations permit awareness of the complexity of feelings in oneself and others, essential for psychoanalytic creativity. Further, the articles in this issue are synthesized, highlighting the importance of the analyst making creative (new and valuable) use of his or her entire life experience, feelings, attitudes, and fantasies in treatment. From this dicussion, it is evident that the analyst's creative use of self should be more systematically incorporated into psychoanalytic theory of technique.

Notes

Alan J. Barnett, Ph.D., is a faculty member and supervising/control analyst at the National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis, Editor of The Psychoanalytic Review, and member of the Editorial Board of Psychoanalytic Inquiry. He has developed a number of journal issues pertinent to theory of analytic treatment for the Review and for Psychoanalytic Inquiry.