INITIAL PSYCHOANALYTIC INTERVIEW: THEORETICAL GROUND AND TECHNIQUES FOR CLINICAL APPLICATION

Abstract

The initial psychoanalytic interview is a special and key element of psychotherapeutic practice, serving as the entry point where the patient and therapist first meet in a new configuration.This article reviews key classical and contemporary theoretical ideas that conceptualize the initial psychoanalytic interview and technical techniques for their implementation. In particular, it is stated that the interview has both a diagnostic and therapeutic function, as it is already part of the analytical scene. The partial goals and sources of information obtained during the initial interview are revealed: objective (biographical facts), subjective (the patient’s individual interpretations), and scenic (nonverbal manifestations). The article describes the position of the psychoanalyst as an engaged observer, which requires emotional involvement and analysis of one’s own reactions, as if asking, “What is the patient doing to me?” It is noted how the therapist’s manner of conduct creates the conditions for the patient’s self-disclosure, excluding purposeful questioning at the beginning. The article reveals and illustrates verbal and nonverbal interventions used during the initial psychoanalytic interview. In particular, it describes how classical psychoanalytic techniques can be used for interviewing purposes. These include confrontation (to direct attention), clarification (exploring meanings), and interpretation (verbalizing unconscious content). The authors also introduce the concept of the unconscious scene, which is defined by the key content of psychoanalytic interpretations, and its role in the initial psychoanalytic interview. Finally, the authors describe the factors that hinder the initial interview – on the part of the patient (as manifestations of resistance) or on the part of the therapist. Overall, the article provides a comprehensive view of the initial psychoanalytic interview as a process that is not a neutral collection of data, but rather an analytical act in which the basis of the working alliance is formed and the structure of further therapy is laid.