A Kleinian view of psychoanalytic couples therapy: Part 1

This paper will investigate the central aspects of the psychoanalytic treatment of couples. The concept of analytic contact is introduced and the importance of each party of the couple being witness to the other party's response to analytic contact is discussed. Emphasis will be placed on issues of thinking, projective identification and the concept of container‐contained. Part 1 of the paper will focus mainly on theoretical issues but will then utilize one clinical case to illustrate some of the theoretical points. Using extensive case reports, Part 2 will continue to provide the reader with an in‐depth view of the important process of a couple's therapy within a psychoanalytic framework.