Addressing Psychoanalysis's Post-Tower of Babel Linguistic Challenge: A Proposal for a Cross-Theoretical, Clinical Nomenclature

The theater of the unconscious mind.

“…Most patients readily understand descriptions of dynamic unconscious themes in terms of, for example, highly critical or idealized internal characters persecuting or admiring parts of ego. Further, the concept of internal drama extends previous efforts to find a unifying nomenclature (Karbelnig, 2018) by illuminating a cross-theoretical metaphor, analogy, or motif that serves as one of many potential means of engagement. In sum then, psychoanalysts use of models based on dramas, narrations, and scripts-ubiquitously reported by patients themselves-provides an effective tool for facilitating transformation.…”

“…Further, it simplifies and clarifies, responding to Stoller's (1986) suggestion that psychoanalysts write "at the same time-for analysts and for others" (p. xiii). The utilization of analogies to drama or theater to understand unconscious structure or process extends an earlier proposal (Karbelnig, 2018) that framing, presence, and engagement provide a cross-theoretical nomenclature for clinical psychoanalysis. The unique artistry of applied psychoanalysis prohibits proposing any one universal method of understanding or practice; however, the use of such theatrical analogies offers one vehicle for bridging the sometimes contentious differences between psychoanalytic schools of thought.…”

“…a person] like a tattoo" (p. 4). Another part of a scholarly and political endeavor to unify the psychoanalytic project (Karbelnig, 2014(Karbelnig, , 2016a(Karbelnig, , 2016b(Karbelnig, , 2018, I promote viewing the unconscious tattoo as structured like drama as a way to bring more integration to the field and as a crosstheoretical means of interpretation. The idea is hardly a new one.…”

The Psychoanalyst As Revolutionary

“…Providing a structure for such pluralism, psychoanalytic psychotherapists utilize three basic professional behaviours À framing, presence, and engagement (Karbelnig, 2014(Karbelnig, , 2018a(Karbelnig, , 2018b. Clinicians frame their psychoanalytic interpersonal relationships by establishing and maintaining environments facilitative of psychoanalytic processes.…”

“…Fairbairn (1952) ultimately concluded that safety, taking form in the introjection of a good object, was crucial. The concept of presence (Karbelnig, 2018a(Karbelnig, , 2018b, an essential backdrop for psychoanalytic processes, allows psychoanalysts to carefully attend to, respect, hear, witness, and attune to patients. These ways of receiving patients, of metaphorically opening arms to their subjective experiences, could also (if dangerously) be called love.…”