Patience Quote by Ved P. Varma
““He came to believe that, in addition to getting rid of parts of the self, projective identification was sometimes the only way in which some very fragmented patients could communicate. The problem lay in recognising, understanding and making sense of what was being communicated by the patient, in such a way that the patient could better understand what was happening in his internal world. Before any of this can happen, however, the therapist has to be capable of receiving, and holding on to (that is, containing) ‘inside of himself what the patient has projected into him. These unprocessed, raw, fragmented, and sometimes ‘unthinkable’ thoughts and feelings were called by Bion, ‘Beta Elements’, and the capacity to process and think about them, was referred to as ‘Alpha Function’. It follows from this that an increase in Alpha Function will also lead to a greater capacity in the therapist to contain and manage stress.””
About This Quote
Source Article: Psychoanalytic Theory, Ved P. Varma, 2020
Therapists must hold and process patients' projected raw feelings (Beta Elements) to develop Alpha Function, enhancing emotional containment.
In simple terms: Therapists need to contain patients' raw emotions.
Key Takeaway
Develop capacity to hold and process intense feelings.
Themes
psychotherapy
emotional containment
alpha function
beta elements
projective identification
Mood
empathetic
supportive
Type
clinical
educational
When to use this quote
- clinical practice
- training
- supervision
- crisis intervention
Key Concepts
containment
transference
mindfulness
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you maintain your own emotional boundaries?
- What techniques improve Alpha Function?
A Different Perspective
Therapist's own stress may limit containment ability.
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