This article writtened by Daniel Widlocher (2013) is about « Co-Thinking », a construct he created to explain provides in analytic process.
In the first part of the article, the author is retracing how the concept of « empathy » has emerged in psychology. He explained that according to Freud, empathy affords us to learn, in others, the external of our self (le mot d’esprit dans ses rapports avec l’inconscient, Freud, 1905). Empathy, in this point of view, would further consist by an imitation movement. Then, he rapported that Melanie Klein thought that empathy was more a mechanism of identification, « as if we would exist in someone else » (1936). Furthermore, he talked about Greenson (1960), who suggested that empathy was a primitive competence inferring in human identification processes.
In the second part, Widlocher presented his research works. In 1999, he started to investigate the relation between a baby and his mother to understand the notion of « empathy ». And then, he came back to Freud and Ferenczi studies about « telepathy » (1921-1933) : in their conclusions, analyst has a specific background to know analysant thinking’s. Moreover, they found that analysant induces observations and thoughts in analyst. In this theory, there is a double movement between the two protagonists in relation.
From then on, Widlocher highlighted the Co-Thinking concept : he provided that it was as a reciprocal development in associativity process. Indeed, according to him, analysant’s words and sigificatings enter into analyst thoughts, these one who are particular. He came to the conclusion that interpretation is a co-thinking consequence. He underlined that analyst’s associations must be understood in therapy as the analysant’s psychological functioning. And so, analyst can identify unconscious elements in analysant, make assumptions of representations, and subsequently submit them to his client. Thus, the co-thinking process produces a significant interpretations inventory which would, in analysant, unlock precociousness initially submitted to unconsciousness strengths.
To conclude, this interesting article by Daniel Widlocher helps us to get an idea of this complex phenomenon. It enables us to figure the associating activity in the psychoanalytic method.
Daniel Widlocher, « Empathie et co-pensée », Journal de la psychanalyse de l’enfant, 2013/2 (Vol.3), p39-44. DOI 10.3917/jpe.006.0039
The words I have learned :
co-thinking : co-pensée
Provides : modalités de fonctionnement
From then on : à partir de là
Vanessa REGNIER- M2 PCPI
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