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June 13, 1983. TOWARD A DEFINITION OF PSYCHOANALYTIC NEUTRALITY. Axel Hoffer, M.D.
Briefly touching upon the unclear yet important role of neutrality as a concept in psychoanalysis, Dr. Hoffer called attention to the fact that Freud did not use the word "neutrality" (Neutralität) but rather the term "Indifferenz," translated as "neutrality" by Strachey. There has been an ongoing debate about whether remaining true to the concept of neutrality is somehow antithetical to the analyst's genuine involvement with the patient. Dr. Hoffer defined the concept of neutrality in terms of specifiable conflicts, suggesting that this would make it operationally useful for a deeper understanding of analytic data. Such a definition includes the patient's