Eros and Speech - The meaning of tender words in therapy

Journal/Book: Musiktherapeutische Umschau. 1986; 7: STUTTGART. G. Fischer Verlag. 265-275.

Abstract: Before tenderness can take effect in therapy nowadays, the therapist often has to endure for some length of time a wall of fear and hatred, which must first be arduously transformed. Tenderness is sustained by deep respect and requires clear, transparent and unambiguous abstinence that never turns opaque or ambiguous. Tenderness strengthens the sick person's self and aids him or her in the search for self-knowledge and self-determination. "Tender loving care", the basic attitude of the psychotherapist that involves personal sympathy and human warmth, provides safety and security. Tenderness can prove extremely powerful when the sound of a voice and a few tender words can cause tensed muscles to relax. This essay deals with various dimensions of tenderness in psychotherapy which uses the spoken word as its instrument.

Keyword(s): Dimensions-of-tenderness, psychotherapy, tender-loving-care, speech.

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