Relational Psychoanalysis Research Articles (Page 1)

ABSTRACT Conventional trauma recovery models rooted in Euro‐American clinical paradigms often emphasize individualism, verbal disclosure, and cognitive insight, overlooking the unconscious, relational, and embodied dimensions of trauma within collectivist, honor‐based societies. This paper introduces the SHARE Model of Trauma Recovery, a culturally situated psychoanalytic framework grounded in five interlinked domains: Silence, Honor, Attachment, Relational Trauma, and Embodied Memory. Drawing on object relations theory, relational psychoanalysis, feminist postcolonial critique, and somatic psychoanalytic approaches, the SHARE Model repositions trauma as a culturally encoded, intergenerational phenomenon sustained through familial dynamics, shame‐bound silence, and collective repression. In settings where speaking is dangerous and honor is socially constitutive, silence may function as both defense and survival. The model proposes culturally attuned psychoanalytic interventions that engage somatic memory, non‐verbal communication, and transgenerational transmission of trauma. With clinical implications for therapeutic work in Pakistan and comparable sociocultural contexts, the SHARE Model offers an innovative contribution to contemporary psychoanalytic thought reframing trauma recovery as a relational and culturally mediated process.

This article proposes a reflection on relational psychoanalysis as a clinical practice and its contribution to the training of psychotherapists during the mandatory final internship in Psychology. Based on theoretical review and adapted clinical case reports experienced at the teaching clinic of the Faculdade da Amazônia (UNAMA), the intersubjective bond is highlighted as the central axis of listening, shifting the focus away from classical intrapsychic models of Freudian orthodoxy. The relational attitude is sustained by presence, rêverie, affective involvement, bodily listening, and ethical recognition—dimensions that guide the clinical gesture and the posture of the therapist in training. These axes demonstrate that psychic suffering, as a lived, situated, and shared experience, can be reworked and alleviated through the horizon of meanings that emerge from the analytic encounter. The clinical case reports were written in the first person, inspired by Mauro Amatuzzi’s (1996) proposal on the version of meaning, and confidentiality was preserved through ethical and narrative adjustments. The work shows that, in supervised internship, relational clinical practice transforms not only the patient but also the therapist in training.

Farina and Schimmenti’s model of attachment trauma offers a robust, transdiagnostic framework linking early relational trauma to complex psychopathological phenomena. This commentary expands upon their clinical conceptualization through a dialogue with neuropsychodynamic model of the self, as proposed by Scalabrini, and Mucci’s psychoanalytic theory of trauma, affect regulation and intergenerational transmission. Integrating different perspective from developmental psychopathology, affective neuroscience, and relational psychoanalysis, we further consider the therapeutic implications of restoring self-integration vs. traumatic disintegration, affective relationality vs. detachment reactions and mentalization vs. dysregulation of arousal and impulses across brain, body, mind and intergenerational systems.

ABSTRACT This paper proposes a post-mutuality ethic in relational psychoanalysis, arguing that while mutual recognition remains central, it is insufficient for addressing moments of persistent non-mutuality embedded in psychic life and shaped by structural and cultural forces. Drawing on Ogden’s autistic-contiguous position, Stern’s unformulated experience, Green’s work of the negative, and Bollas’s evocative object, I frame these moments as encounters with psychic remainder—dimensions of experience that resist symbolization and that may be approached but never fully held in mutuality. Through clinical and theoretical discussion, including work with both patients who struggle to symbolize and those who speak fluently yet require protected opacity, I examine the ethical risks and countertransference challenges of sustaining disciplined presence. This perspective broadens the relational field’s approach to witnessing, situating the impossibility of mutuality within larger histories of power, difference, and normative pressure, and draws on queer and Black studies scholarship to affirm the ethical value of opacity.

Abstract This article reviews the conceptualization of mind and therapeutic action in the relational psychoanalytic tradition. It briefly presents the history of relational psychoanalytic thinking that developed from multifaceted clinical experience that both found lacking and challenged classical theory. The review traces relational theory to interpersonal psychoanalysis, which was extended by object relations theory, self‐psychology and postmodern epistemology. The paper presents dissociation, multiplicity of self and generative enactments as hallmarks of the relational psychoanalytic tradition. Relational psychoanalysis understands the human mind as composed of horizontally organized self‐states. Health is defined as the ability to move flexibly and acceptingly between different self‐states, including those that are hated, feared, shamed and even regressive. The denial or avoidance of self‐states is conceptualized as dissociative experience, a fertile ground for cumbersome enactments in the therapeutic relationship. As for the implications for therapeutic action, relational theory contends that the therapist's dissociated self‐state significantly influences countertransference and can lead to entrenched enactments in the therapeutic process. The article discusses implications of these relational perspectives on both case conceptualization and clinical understanding of the therapeutic situation at hand in different phases of the therapeutic process. The article frequently returns to the work of Winnicott because his work both anticipated the relational turn in psychoanalysis and becomes revitalized in the light of relational theory.

In Relational Psychoanalysis it is possible to deal with corporeity and, in particular, with the body hyper-invested with meanings and signifiers of the adolescent, through the epistemic paradigm of complexity, which looks, first of all, at the I-subject as unitary, that is, for which, according to Michele Minolli, “the single part is the whole and [...] the whole is the single part”. “The I-subject is one [...] has several parts in relation to each other. The various components or the different functions must be grasped in their interaction. A model that only captures the aspect of unity and does not help to understand the recursive functioning of the subject between its parts and the whole is not adequate”. An I-subject, therefore, configured by its environment – familial, transgenerational and cultural – and by its genetics also for being ‘that specific body’, where the patient’s suffering arises from perceiving himself as inconsistent, that is, from not taking note that one is as one is also as a unique corporeality, with which one is called to come to terms; taking into account, moreover, the context of a hyper-individualistic society in which, according to Lipovetsky (2004), we are immersed, which tends to make the body a fragmented instrument of self-affirmation, also through the narcissistic and global use of the visibility provided by social networks. Within this ‘fractal’ perspective, the symptom, which has bodily manifestations (self-harm, impulsive actions, attempted suicide, eating disorders, somatizations, anxiety/panic attacks), even, especially in adolescence, in terms of identity manifestation (tattoos/piercings/earrings, clothing, make-up/hairstyles), can then find its meaning as a metaphorical and syncretic expression of all that I-subject, according to the recursive logic of ‘I am my symptom’; also intending the bodily symptomatology always in a relational perspective, since the mind is intersubjective, that is, identity and consciousness are formed in the context of relationships and not in intrapsychic isolation. In this sense, the symptom is also thought of as an expression of the patient’s bonds; through the presentation of the clinical vignettes of some adolescent patients encountered within individual and family devices, we will try to highlight how it is, then, possible to work together with each specific I-subject in its complexity, in the present and embodied moment of the analytical relationship between two or more unique corporeities, therefore also including that of the therapist, in turn seen starting from his own initial configuration.

The underlying intent of our contribution is to delve deeper into some aspects of clinical practice in working with couples within the framework of Relational Psychoanalysis and, more precisely, starting from Michele Minolli’s theory of the I-Subject. A psychoanalytic approach in couple therapy is particularly relevant nowadays since the romantic relationship has increasingly become invested with expectations that partners will take care of individual vulnerabilities, offering support and understanding. As a result, the romantic relationship inevitably becomes the place where individual existential crises take place. “YOU make me feel bad” is one of the accusations that we often hear in different forms from couples in therapy. This accusation symbolically summarizes the entire mechanism of delegating responsibility to the other for one’s emotional experience. This relational pattern – of demanding and, at the same time, of depending on the Other – is understood as resulting from modern society’s tendency to hyper-individualism. In this context, self-affirmation seems to be an indispensable condition for one’s existence in relation to the rest of the world, resulting in the individual experiencing a state of radical inconsistency. We refer to our clinical work with couples as ‘couple in therapy’ rather than as ‘couple therapy’ precisely because what underpins our theoretical frame and techniques aims to support the individual to work towards taking back their investment (in this case, a romantic one) in the Other. This is an opportunity for individual growth and development that wouldn’t be achieved alone. Therefore, the therapist plays a fundamental role in helping to take back this investment. During the early stages of therapy, the couple can easily start requesting that the therapist offer quick fixes for solving daily struggles. The aim of therapy is instead to support the couple to rediscover themselves at this time of crisis: in this way, the I-Subject becomes central, as I is the one who loves, relates, and is in crisis. The I-Subject does not passively suffer struggles but experiences them, even when they become difficult and painful, making it much harder to own and stay with those experiences. Recognizing human symmetry is a precondition to clinical practice, alongside an ethical sense of care, to work with patients, not instead of them or in a better way than them. This leads to a shared understanding of the issues, the loss, emptiness, and inconsistency of being a human being. By taking this stance and awareness, the therapist will be able to support couples in a process of gradual relinquishment of delegating to the Other the condition of their existence, helping them to experience the relationship not as a romantic and idealized wholeness but as an opportunity for mutual becoming. In the proposed work, these aspects will also be explored in depth through the use of clinical material.

This article explores identity as a discursive construct within the framework of relational psychoanalysis and intersubjective theory. Relevance. Contemporary psychotherapeutic practice in the Ukrainian social context increasingly addresses issues of identity crisis, ego fragmentation, and the consequences of traumatic experiences—particularly those linked to military events. This calls for new theoretical frameworks to understand how identity is formed and transformed within the analytic process. Objective. The aim of the study is to conceptualize identity as a discourse co-constructed by the analyst and the analysand within the intersubjective psychological space. Methodology. The research is based on theoretical analysis and synthesis of contemporary psychoanalytic literature and philosophical approaches to the problem of identity. A comparative-analytical method is used to contrast essentialist and constructivist perspectives on the nature and development of the self. Clinical vignettes from the author's therapeutic practice are employed to illustrate key concepts. Results. The study substantiates that identity in the psychoanalytic process is not a fixed internal structure but arises and transforms through dialogical interaction and unconscious meaning-making between therapist and patient. The relational unconscious (the intersubjective «analytic third») is presented as a shared space in which identity discourse unfolds, including mutual projections, identifications, and the co-creation of self-narratives. The article highlights the theoretical innovation of this approach: it reconsiders traditional notions of a unified «self» in favor of a dynamic multiplicity of self-states that emerge in relational contexts. Conclusions. Understanding identity as a discursive process allows for more flexible therapeutic engagement with impasses and crises related to self-definition. This opens up the possibility for jointly reinterpreting the patient's narratives, integrating conflicting aspects of personality, and restoring a sense of self-coherence. Perspectives. The findings lay the groundwork for further research integrating psychoanalytic and discursive methods in identity studies, as well as for developing clinical approaches aimed at working with identity crises and post-traumatic disorders within the relational paradigm.

In this paper, I will deal with abuse understood as trauma that, in a relationship between two people, violates the body. Clinical practice still reveals to us today the extent of the effects on an ego that is incapable of defending itself and of allowing the excitatory, incomprehensible and ruinous charge of an abusive adult to flow out of itself. In this sense, the theoretical clinical contribution of Ferenczi, still remains essential today in approaching the complexity of the pathological dynamics of the traumatic scenario. A scenario that is explored here within the psychoanalytic relationship, through the therapist’s listening and welcoming towards the narrative fabric of the patient’s body and mind manifestations, in order to trace the abuse and return it to the vital dynamics of communication and thus be able to translate it, restoring meaning to it.

Relationality in Indigenous teachings and practices and in relational psychoanalysis: An initial inquiry.

This paper explores the relational psychoanalytic approach to addressing gender-based violence through the case study of Lorena, a survivor of lifelong abuse. It highlights the normalization of gender violence within patriarchal societies and its profound psychological and relational consequences, as well as the transformative potential of incorporating a gender perspective and fostering sorority—solidarity among women—in therapeutic settings. Facilitating mutual recognition between therapist and patient, relational psychoanalysis enables survivors to regain a sense of subjectivity and emotional autonomy through intersubjective dialogue, as well as confront experiences of annihilating shame and dissociation while fostering resilience and empowerment. The author underscores the critical need for gender-aware psychoanalytic practices to address the pervasive impact of gender violence and advocate for societal change, contributing to the evolving discourse on integrating feminist epistemologies into psychoanalytic theory and practice.

The use of biographical documents, such as photography, bear witness to the subject in its context. Review of the pictures is based on the mutual interaction between psychotherapist and patient. I propose to analyze the use of photography as a clinical tool that facilitates knowledge and integration, illustrating it through a clinical case, whom I will call M. I start from a theoretical review, from the paradigm of relational psychoanalysis, attachment theory, bonding processes, symbolization and mentalization. I incorporated the work with photography in two moments: at the beginning of therapy, as a life story narrative and 4 years later, as her own creative process, in a clinical impasse. The use of images has allowed us to incorporate a temporal-spatial experience that has helped to have mental, symbolic and emotional representations of oneself in a more integrated way. Some images have generated moments of great emotional intensity, emerging from unmentionables conflicts, elements of transformation have emerged that have given M greater spontaneity, in an intersubjective affective encounter, to which is added the reflective capacity, incorporating words in the review of the shared images, facilitating the understanding of meanings. The photographic encounter has become the transitional space with which to work and play, to access the symbolic. Photography is a privileged medium to construct our own story of our relational framework, transforming our sense of identity. The use of photography has contributed to the development of the intersubjective bonding space, providing it with greater intimacy and trust, a context that facilitates change.

Through a clinical vignette, the core concepts of relational psychoanalysis and their practical usefulness both inside and outside the consulting room are explored. This is an invitation to reflect on the contexts of the patients we see and how we include them in our daily wor

This case study focuses on the meanings of nonverbal and bodily expressions of a patient and a therapist in creating a confidential psychoanalytic relationship in the first moments of psychotherapy sessions. During a two-and-a-half-year therapy process, 25 therapy sessions with one patient were videorecorded by a therapist-researcher. Psychoanalytic understanding and an artistic research method that emphasizes the importance of the researcher’s embodied knowledge were used to analyze the meanings of these encounters with the patient. When the video recordings of the session beginnings were watched without audio, three different types of choreography of interaction were identified. These were named (1) like a child and his mother, (2) like a business meeting, and (3) two individuals in discussion. When the session beginnings were viewed with the soundtrack, further insights were obtained into the choreographies of these patient–therapist encounters. The article concludes with a discussion of the benefits and problems of applying an artistic research method in psychotherapy research.

ABSTRACT Adolescents are the so-called “digital natives”: those born into a multiscreen society where experiences and life itself travel in the digital and virtual dimension. The contemporary world is going through a crisis of the narrative experience, because of the invasion of information. In this “liquid society” characterized by unpredictable changes and uncertainty, a paradigm of success based on beauty and perfectionism engenders a sense of inadequacy and denies the possibility of failure among younger generations. I first discuss these timely issues and their impact on adolescent development. I explore the potential role of psychoanalysis and Self Psychology in the critical transition from adolescence to adulthood, in reactivating the capacity to construct meaningful narratives about their lives and selves. In the second part, I present an explicative clinical vignette of a long analysis with a teenager for whom the world of social media was the only way into the world and became the only access to build a psychoanalytic relationship.

Abstract This article draws on relational psychoanalysis to reinterpret Ovid’s version of Narcissus and Echo as a means to reflect on the dynamics of how subjects connect to others and themselves through listening. Attuning to a long tradition of scholarship, we understand Ovid’s tale as a rich template for contemplating the difficulties of becoming social. We underline how both protagonists take on essential roles in each other’s transformations. While acknowledging how each actor’s unique biography creates an intrapsychic vector, we highlight the effect of their encounters in their mutual becoming. We illustrate how the relational space between them plays an essential role in their development as they overcome their unique difficulties in connecting to each other. Our relational-psychoanalytic analysis offers a surprising interpretation, namely, that Narcissus and Echo can ultimately overcome their isolation and connect through their transformation. This illustrates the potential of relational psychoanalysis as an interpretative tool that allows us to understand social dynamics as a product of a relational space in which intra-psychic representations encounter and transform each other, thus contributing to ongoing discussions on the concept of relational subjectivity.

This article offers guidelines for the promotion of spiritual intelligence in theoretical-practical training programs in the educational field. After Howard Gardner recognized spiritual intelligence as one of the dimensions of his theory of multiple intelligences, it constitutes a necessary reference within the educational field, as it invites us to transcend challenges and facilitates coping with hopelessness and suffering, making our life meaningful. In our article, this proposal is made based on the definition of spiritual intelligence and the description of its competencies offered by Antonia Martín-Sánchez, based on our research with informants from different beliefs and using the framework of Abraham Maslow’s humanistic psychology and in the more confident and hopeful humanism of relational psychoanalysis. In this context, we analyze trust and hope, having examined components identified by authors such as Danah Zohar and Ian Marshall, Yosi Amram or M. Maxim as two competencies that allow the use of spiritual intelligence in these training programs. These competencies are classified as transcendental emotions and their conceptualization and relevance are analyzed not only in educational environments, but also in social, economic and political milieus.

Abstract This paper examines epistemological plurality in contemporary relational psychoanalysis. I draw on clinical material with my own clients who have experienced environmental trauma in early life, such as experiences of incest, battery, abuse and molestation. In this paper, I put forward arguments for the positivist thinking within the development of psychoanalysis, as well as drawing on neuroepistemology, postmodernism and hermeneutic philosophy to consider the ways in which epistemological plurality may provide a more holistic way of conceptualising clients concerns. In this paper, I highlight the role that language, and the analysis of language, plays in meaning making within psychotherapy.

ABSTRACT An overview of the fundamental concepts that grew out of quantum physics, which created a new systemic structural approach in relational psychoanalysis corresponding with fractal geometry and aspects of depth and other psychologies will be presented, applied to dynamic ways of engaging occur within the analytic encounter. Reflection, representation, and diffraction are among three forms of interaction that happen in quantum physics that physicist Karen Barad has described, also occurring within the transference dynamic. These forms of engagement will be explored from both an intersubjective, postmodern view, and from a fractal epistemology perspective, which includes potential for a fixed observer dependence based upon a phenomenological distinction between objects and the ways they are perceived and experienced, influenced by both position and scale Marks-Tarlow and Shapiro, An application of anonymous case material will be included that illustrates the concepts being presented from a relational perspective related to diffraction and fractal dynamism theories based upon quantum principles proposed by Bohm. An objective of this paper is to synthesize a conceptualization of psychoanalytic theory primarily from a relational focus, with quantum theory and fractal dynamics woven together, in an integration process related to diffraction, representational, and reflective processes.

ABSTRACT In her paper on “Reflection, Representation, and Diffraction in the Analytic Process,” Deborah Bryon integrates the work of physicists Karen Barad and David Bohm with nonlinear dynamics under the framework of a fractal epistemology. She examines the relevance of three forms of interaction within physics – reflection, representation, and diffraction – to the psychoanalytic dyad. By so doing, she adds complexity and nuance to the terrains of theorizing in relational psychoanalysis. This commentary supports the significance of Bryon’s paper by contextualizing it historically. Sections to follow examine the role that scientific metaphors and models play in the evolution of psychoanalytic theory. Physics is an especially good match because it involves the exploration of hidden, often invisible dimensions related to patterns in space, time, as well as atemporal expanses.