How can we know what we need to know? Reflections on clinical judgment formation.
What distinguishes a psychoanalyst from any other psychologically minded, empathic human being? This seemingly simple question goes to the heart of our profession, the way we see ourselves as competent clinicians. To understand a patient's material beyond ordinary empathy--that is, to come to a clinical judgment--we need to step out of the dyadic, countertransference situation and reflect what we've experienced in reference to our clinical theories. An analytic vignette shows how a theoretical background can be used to understand and interpret to a patient in a way that is deeply meaningful.
Busch
Fred
F
Psychoanalytic Institute of New England, East, USA. drfredbusch@comcast.net
Schmidt-Hellerau
Cordelia
C
D003071:Cognition; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D004532:Ego; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D008875:Middle Aged; D011573:Psychoanalytic Interpretation; D011574:Psychoanalytic Theory; D011575:Psychoanalytic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D014167:Transference, Psychology; D014473:Unconscious, Psychology