title: Enactments in Psychoanalysis: Therapeutic Benefits.
abstract: The therapeutic benefits of enactments are addressed. Relevant literature reveals disparate conceptions about the nature and use of enactments. Clarification of the term is discussed. This analyst's theoretical and technical evolution is addressed; it is inextricably related to using enactments. How can it not be? A taxonomy of enactments is presented. The article considers that enactments may be fundamental in the evolution from orthodox to contemporary analytic technique. Assumptions underlying enactments are explored, as are guidelines for using enactments. Finally, the article posits that enactments have widened the scope of analysis and contributed to its vitality.
authors.affiliation: Served as a Training and Supervising Analyst for the Southern California Psychoanalytic Institute and is a member of the New Center for Psychoanalysis, The Southwest Arizona Psychoanalytic Society, and the Arizona Psychoanalytic Society. He practices in Phoenix, AZ. He is also a member of the American Psychoanalytic Association and The International Association of Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy.
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stern
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology; D003379:Countertransference; D005195:Family Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics*; D011572:Psychoanalysis / Q000379:methods*
keywords: countertransference; enactments; guidelines; therapeutic; transformative