François Richard, Actualité de la méthode fondamentale. Intervention de reconnaissance et fonctionnements limites

Abstract: In my presentation, I will propose a series of assumptions stemming from my own patient practice and previous research in psychoanalysis. In doing so, I hope to find solutions to situations where I encountered therapeutic impasses in the analytical situation with patients. Beyond the distinctions of neurosis, borderline, psychosis, patients can show their existential difficulties (in other words feeling unable to exist in this world); or, they can demonstrate trouble working through in the analytical pro- cess, with complexities of borderline-like functioning combined with distorted oedipal conflicts.The acknowledgement by the analyst—that is putting a name on the patient’s feelings at the right time, and, within the frame of analytic inter-pretation - can be quite efficient. This introduces the need to reflect on the method of free association. This includes the dimension of handling the dissocia- tive tendencies of the patient, on the condition that the analyst knows how to involve his own free associations with those of his/her patient. The basic method enables the analyst to accom- pany the topical regression which is the peculiarity of the borderline-like func- tionnning, and to avoid the risk of an impasse in treatment where the process stops on an unrepresented trauma. A clinical case will be provided and then discussed.