Psychoanalytic Therapists` Experiences of the Interpretive Process

Psychoanalytic theory is a broad conceptual framework concerning the psychic structure of the individual, accompanied by a clinical practice for the treatment of mental and emotional distress: psychodynamic therapy informed by a psychoanalytic approach (Hoglend et al., 2006). One of the central techniques in this form of treatment is interpretation, offered by the therapist (Bion, 2018; Ogden, 1996; Vinocur, 2005). Interpretation may be described as a therapeutic process or intervention that links a sequence of real-life events to their psychological meaning and context (Rolnik, 2022).

The theoretical and clinical literature presents interpretation as a tool whose use reflects the patient’s position within the therapeutic process (Bromberg, 1996), the progress of the treatment (Bucci, 1997), and the relationship between therapist and patient (Aron, 1992). The literature review indicated that most of the theoretical, clinical, and empirical literature focuses on the effects of interpretation on patients and on the ways in which they respond to it (Antichi, Giannini, & Loscalzo, 2022; Rizzuto, 1999; Schlesinger, 1995). By contrast, relatively limited attention has been given to therapists’ experiences and ways of coping while offering interpretations (Barnett, 2007; Gelso & Perez-Rojas, 2017; Peräkylä, 2005, 2010, 2011).

The present study sought to address, to some extent, the gap between the significance and impact of interpretation within the therapeutic space and the limited attention given to psychotherapists’ experiences with this central clinical tool. Accordingly, the aim of the study was to begin expanding the existing knowledge regarding the experiences of psychotherapists working from a psychoanalytic approach throughout the interpretive process. The study was conducted using a qualitative methodology. Ten psychotherapists, both men and women, who work from a psychodynamic psychoanalytic approach were interviewed, without differentiating among the various theoretical schools within this broad approach. Due to the war, all interviews were conducted via Zoom. The interviewees were asked to describe and elaborate on their understanding of interpretation and their use of it, their experience of their patients during and after offering an interpretation, and their experience of the therapeutic dynamic that develops in its aftermath.

All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The thematic analysis identified three overarching themes: (1) interpretation - its definition, purpose, and place; (2) The Use of Interpretation - Professional Identity, Clinical Experience, and Their Implications; (3) the therapist’s experiences throughout the interpretive process; and (4) therapist and patient as two subjects - therapists’ reflections. Although this study is based on a small sample, the interviews clearly reveal a powerful, diverse, and changing experience among therapists in relation to interpretation and its meanings. The study’s findings may therefore contribute, albeit in an initial manner, to expanding existing knowledge regarding psychotherapists’ experiences as part of interpretive interventions in psychodynamic treatment, and the influence of these experiences on the course of therapy. In addition, the findings may open a window for future studies that further examine this aspect of treatment.