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The case of Sophie
Author(s) -
Harrison Alexandra M.,
BruschweilerStern Nadia,
LyonsRuth Karlen,
Morgan Alexander C.,
Nahum Jeremy P.,
Sander Louis,
Stern Daniel N.,
Tronick Edward Z.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
infant mental health journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1097-0355
pISSN - 0163-9641
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0355(199823)19:3<309::aid-imhj6>3.0.co;2-g
Subject(s) - repertoire , openness to experience , girl , ambiguity , meaning (existential) , representation (politics) , psychology , coherence (philosophical gambling strategy) , affect (linguistics) , sociology , psychoanalysis , epistemology , social psychology , developmental psychology , linguistics , communication , art , literature , mathematics , philosophy , law , political science , psychotherapist , statistics , politics
The analysis of a girl from ages 3 to 5 years old offers a clinical illustration of an alternative theory of change. In this theory the process of change is organized around nodal points of exchange between patient and analyst, designated as “now moments” and “moments of meeting.” In the case presented, these moments were preceded by an intensification of affect and were accompanied by a sense of openness and ambiguity. As often as not they were nonverbal and sometimes did not even involve symbolic representation. The process resulted in a progressively expanded repertoire of ways of being together and ways of doing things together. In a parallel and mutually influencing track, the child was telling me a story that gave meaning to her world, and increased the coherence of her sense of self. © 1998 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health