The containing role of sonorous interpretation elements

Abstract

In this paper I underscore the significance of the various aspects of the voiceof the analyst as part of the setting and containing function of the psychoanalyticsituation specially in the case of very disturbed patients who need to reaffirm timeand again that they have not destroyed the object. I argue that interpretation iseffective when it can merge its two components, the semantic, on the one hand,and the phonetic as well as the non verbal elements involved in uttering theinterpretation. Both will make possible the incorporation of a process ofsymbolization that will give rise to the fracture of narcissistic organizations andhence enable future elaborations. Through clinical vignettes, I underline theimportance of the holding function, since many of these patients have had severe maternal deficiencies that bring about a feeling of void and absence. The presence,the voice and the attitude of the analyst constitute and important part of the setting,which alongside the analyst’s interpretation will create a “special language” specificto every patient-analyst dyad. These elements will constitute a dynamic unit thatwill help the patient to grasp his/her truth, and thus both develop and grow.