Paying Attention and Feeling Puzzled: The Analytic Mindset as an Agent of Therapeutic Change

The Relational turn has affirmed emotional interaction without losing sight of the complexities of the internal world, thus reforming psychoanalysis. This paper, however, is concerned that this well-justified enthusiasm for interaction may be distracting us from opportunities offered by analysts’ special aptitude for an open, quiet, focused mind in the midst of intense emotional and interpersonal activity. This special orientation is considered in relation to the analyst’s tolerance for ambiguity and even confusion. The effects of the analyst’s reflective concentration as a change factor in the analytic field are discussed, using nonlinear dynamic systems theories and a phenomenological perspective.