Therapeutic Relationship: A Factor for Substantial Change in Psychodynamic Psychotherapies and Psychoanalysis

Significant change in psychodynamic psychotherapy resides in the uncovering of unconscious conflicts as they manifest themselves in the lives of patients. My intent in this article is to illustrate the special power of the therapeutic relationship as a separate element beyond interpretation as a vehicle for a change. This is illustrated by three patients who revealed special feelings of affection for me in the context of our work together and the progress that they had made. The substrate of these feelings is a product of a consistent acceptance and valuation of the patient in all that they reveal. These are aspects of the real relationship and are not the distortions of transference projections, although they may evoke elements of an ideal parent.