The third position: reflections about the internal analytic working process

The development of a third position is a key aspect of the analyst's ability to survive in the analytic relationship. In exploring the value of the third position, the author discusses other models relevant to clinical work, including the analytic-therapeutic position, the internal analyst, the alive analytic contact, and the phobic position. A case example illustrates these models and forms the basis for further discussion of the internal analytic working process.