You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
The aim of this paper is to point to complexities in the patient-analyst relationship that go beyond the traditional concept of transference. The concept of transference has been described by Freud in several papers.10, 12, 8 Accordingly, the patient re-experiences in transference his past emotional experiences and “refers” them onto his analyst. The passive attitude of the analyst is believed to facilitate the reliving of instinctual demands and permit proper analytic interpretations. (Cf. Glover,18 Lagache,19 Menninger.20)
Freud himself soon realized9, 13 that the passive attitude is not necessarily the choice method in regard to all types of mental disorders. In phobias and compulsions direct intervention proved to be necessary. Thus proper modifications in psychoanalytic technique have been introduced. Unfortunately no new interpretation was offered in regard to the nature of interindividual relationships that take place in psychoanalysis of phobic and compulsive patients.
Further clinical experiences by Freud and his associates and new types of patients called for additional amendments in psychoanalytic technique. New problems faced the analyst with the growing attention to character neuroses. Character neurosis must not be confused with psychopathic personality and impulse neuroses. Reich22 pointed to the transference peculiarities of certain neurotics who seem to have accepted their neurosis and developed a “protective armor” of character neurosis. Reich developed a succinct technique of overcoming character resistances.