Therapeutic strategy and psychoanalytic technique.

Abstract

The role of therapeutic strategy within psychoanalytic technique is described. An antistrategic bias inherent in certain aspects of the "classical" technique is explored in relation to the historical development of psychoanalysis. Clinical expertise, which includes the making of strategic or tactical choices, is relegated to the "unofficial," due in part to this negative bias impeding the study of technical differences in favor of general agreement about a theory of technique that may differ considerably from actual clinical work. A case is presented that illustrates strategic choices in the management of a severe character resistance in a supervised analysis. Some consequences of a negative bias against therapeutic strategy as it relates to psychoanalytic training is described.