In Praise of Ambivalence

Abstract

With the help of a clinical case, the author describes the phenomenological experience of ambivalence in the therapeutic setting and discusses its treatment in five steps: (1) recognize and legitimize the ambivalence; (2) differentiate between being uncertain and being confused; (3) accept the ambivalence, abstaining from resolving it immediately; (4) respectfully analyze the two poles of the ambivalence; and (5) recognize their fundamental unity because the two poles usually constitute the two faces of the same drive toward well-being. The case study shows how to deal not only with the patient’s ambivalence but with the therapist’s as well. The model of intervention described shows its usefulness for understanding both the transference and the countertransference dynamics of the therapeutic dyad. Necessary precautions are considered for successful completion of the analytic process, and the usefulness of empathic neutrality toward the two poles of ambivalence is described.