PsychoanalytischeKompetenzen

The author presents a project trying to gain as transparent as possible criteria for a competent psychoanalytic practice. The project is oriented at David Tuckett’s (2005) proposal of tracing the implicit knowledge of psychoanalytic experts on quality and of making it explicit. Thirty written comments by experienced training analysts on candidate‘s case reports are utilized. A qualitative content analysis leads to the formulation and explanation of ten psychoanalytic competences. They are framed by a model that conceptualizes psychoanalytic practice by three steps: (1) perceiving unconscious material in a participant–observational frame, (2) reflecting it in a conceptual frame and (3) interpreting it in an interventional frame. The competences of the first frame involve the abilities of evenly suspended attention and abstinence, of working with the countertransference and with psychoanalytic interaction and intersubjectivity, the ability to establish an as helpful experienced relationship, the ability to tolerate and to handle anxiety, tensions and conflicts, and the ability to give psychic space and developmental freedom to the patient. The conceptual frame comprehends the ability to establish, form and end a psychoanalytic process, the ability to utilize theoretical concepts and that of selfreflection. The last but not least ability is related to interpretation in the interventional frame. It is not possible in this survey to characterise the competences in a more detailed way nor to add the indispensable vignettes in order to anchor the competences in practice. Some most interesting questions on plurality and competence in psychoanalytic work are raised.