Winnicott e a Posição Ética do Analista

Abstract

Based on Winnicott's theory, this paper discusses the analyst's ethical position, which should be able to give support to the individual's original condition, thus favoring his maturing process. Such support, which is linked to an ethics of autonomy, seems different from other kinds of therapy that provide only the elimination of symptoms, without offering alternatives that contribute to the development and the creative expression of the self. In order to illustrate the position maintained by the analyst's support, we will focus on the analysis of a patient of Winnicott's, analyst Margaret Little. In such analysis, the referred position played a key role in dealing with the intense psychotic anxieties of the patient and, consequently, in promoting her integration and emotional development. By respecting the specific needs of the patient's self, this is an ethical position that respects otherness.