| Abstract: | I believe psychoanalysis is, first and foremost, an art. As an artist, empathy, curiosity, and creativity are required of the clinician. These qualities contribute to making every treatment unique, just suited for this patient with this therapist at this moment. Psychoanalytic theories provide useful models, metaphors, and model scenes that enable clinicians to better understand and engage their patients. Each theory can make a unique contribution to the analyst’s pallet but, I argue, attempts to integrate theories can dull their uniqueness. The personal experiences that led to these proposals about psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic treatment are described. |
