How do emotions come to be spoken? Therapeutic work among various communication structures

Journal/Book: Forum Psychoanal. 1996; 12: 175 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10010. Springer Verlag. 328-341.

Abstract: Psychotherapeutic work must take into consideration specific cognitive structures that are given by patients' different use of signs. In some examples of clinical work with emotionally bound conflicts, the relationship between the occurring emotions (as ''natural'' signs) and structurally different articulatory-symbolising signs is shown to be one of reciprocal influence. The symbolising signs make possible a connection with and a reference back to intra- and intersubjective experience as well as to inner and outer contexts. In this way the borderline area between occurring emotions and experienced emotions and their relation to inner and outer object representations (empathy) can be more easily bridged over by means of a careful discrimination of signs processes. If, on the contrary, a dichotomising and generally evaluating approach (emotion or speech) is adopted, this results in important questions as to the ability to make connections and as to the reciprocal influence of intersubjective communication processes only being discussed within a very narrow framework. This is a loss for our clinical and theoretical work.

Note: Article Hagedorn E, Schwenkenland 12A, D-79224 Umkirch, GERMANY

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