Holding the Tension Between Inner and Outer Worlds in a Violent Environment

Psychoanalytic theories raise essential questions regarding the interrelationship between a person’s inner world and their external reality. The present article is based on the assumption that, in some cases, individuals’ internal balance is the result of a dialogue between their inner world and the social demands placed on them. The tension between the intrapsychic world, which includes emotions, imagination, thoughts, and fantasies, and a certain social and environmental reality, does not (in the authors’ opinion) constitute a contradiction – to the contrary, such tension can be productive, and the work of the therapist is to help clients maintain the necessary balance. The perspective of current psychoanalytic psychotherapy encompasses understanding the individual’s inner world as well as creating a space for a dialogue between their inner and outer worlds. The aim is to produce better connections between these entities, thus enabling healthy functioning and enhanced, more mature coping. This paper illustrates the therapeutic relationship between a psychoanalytic psychotherapist and a nine-year-old child who struggled with fantasies and his exposure to a violent environment.