Friday, 27. March, 14.00-16.30 / Room: Nyhavn; 3rd Floor

Meeting of the Directors of Training: Neutrality in Training and Supervision

 

Linda Johanne Rolfsen (Norwegian Psychoanalytic Society)

Neutrality and the Trace of the Subtle in Psychoanalytic Training

Through the lens of the subtle, I will address neutrality in psychoanalytic training, examining the affective imprint left by the teacher or analyst: their felt presence, tone, desire and attention, without overt intervention. Drawing on supervision, teaching and child analysis, I will explore neutrality, countertransference pressures, anxiety and expectations. I will also examine how analysts can avoid collapsing into reassurance or intrusion. Reflections on neutrality by the analyst or teacher allow it to be sensed and internalised by both trainees and patients, enabling them to metabolise it rather than simply observe it.

 

Hemma Rössler-Schülein (Vienna Psychoanalytic Society)

"Active neutrality": Considerations in the context of theory, clinical practice and institutions.

In psychoanalysis, many different models coexist, and it is fundamental not to eliminate the contradictions between them, but rather to utilize them productively in training and supervision. 'Active neutrality' could contribute to the development of an approach that, on the one hand, acknowledges the need for theoretical guidance in psychoanalytic practice and tolerates rivalries, while, on the other hand, preventing rigid idealizations and devaluations within an institutional context.