Is Fromm Relevant for Relational Approaches in Psychoanalysis?

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of how Erich Fromm's work influenced contemporary relational and intersubjective approaches. It stresses Fromm's humanistic and existential sensibility, his explanation of how different socioeconomic and cultural contexts mold different character types, and how his center-to-center relatedness in clinical work all contribute to psychic change. The author shows how these dimensions intersect and add to current interests in relational psychoanalysis.