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Giselle Galdi began by dedicating her paper to the late Dr. Stephanie Steinfeld, who was seen to embody “wholeheartedness” in her work as an analyst. In the frame of trauma, Galdi first reviewed Horney's theory, beginning with the definition of basic anxiety, leading to a discussion about the development of “solutions” to external and internal conflict and the cementing of both an idealized and a despised
self. Galdi spoke of this path beginning with traumatic experiences during childhood, believing strongly that parents traumatize their children by externalizing their own needs, compulsions, and solutions onto them. This course is seen to be inevitable, but the trauma sequelae that ensue can become pathological if not supportively addressed.
Galdi spoke of Horney's view of the self as one that assumes the presence of chronic traumas, an accumulative impact of both an unsatisfactory environment and the UCS (unconditioned stimulus) adaptations to this lack of safety. Vulnerability to traumatic events is further increased as the person gradually eliminates all aspects of the self that threaten a sense of safety. Alienation is one of the most powerful defenses, as it promises to offer protection from both outer and inner danger. Trauma inevitably generates alienation.
For Galdi, working in the Horneyan frame lets the analyst appreciate the person's susceptibility to traumatic syndromes as well as the extraordinary efforts of traumatized individuals to survive. Delayed, persistent alienation in traumatized individuals must be approached with an analytic attitude that is receptive to the uniqueness of each individual, as well as observing the wisdom of theory, and the dynamics of the character forged by traumatic experiences. In the analytic work with trauma, the therapist must show sympathy, benevolence, and nurturance—all in a way that also shows respect for the patient's struggles.
Galdi concluded her paper by citing examples of patients who represent each of the three