Listening to Silence

Abstract

I have examined the function of silence ‐ its possible role and meanings ‐ in the psychoanalytic encounter. I have argued that silence is complementary to words in general, and to analytic free associations in particular, and that silence in the patient is often more than just the expression of his resistance. It could be useful to consider the silent space within a session as a sort of container of words ‐ words that for complex, overdetermined, unconscious reasons cannot be uttered. I have insisted on the significance of analytic silences and warned against responding to them either through a retaliatory silence or through a flood of premature interpretations. These inadequate reactions often stem from the analyst's own anxiety evoked in him by the patient's silence. Anxiety and silence are closely connected. Each silence is a compromise formation, concealing the unconscious fantasy from which it originates, while expressing a conscious one, often related to the transference situation. It is the task of the analyst to listen to his patient's silences in order to help him understand their meanings.

Compassionate Silence in the Patient–Clinician Encounter: A Contemplative Approach

“…[4][5][6][7][8][9] While there are silences that feel awkward, indifferent, or even hostile, there are also silences that feel comforting, affirming, and safe. They resonate with the ease of a patient and clinician exchanging feelings and thoughts that do not quite make it into language.…”

Loneliness and Silence in Autism - Implications for Psychotherapy

“…The first one deals with the active avoidance of difficult emotions on the part of the patients, whereas the second type tracks the communicational process in respect to disorientation, the positive self-presentation, the threat to the therapeutic relationships (Levitt 2001). In some cases, silence is a vivid manifestation of an aggressive attitude towards the therapist and if this remains un-interpreted, may hinder therapeutic work in these two personality types (personality of a patient and the therapist) (Sabbadini, 1991). The protective function of silence should not be disregarded.…”

“…Sabbadini indicates that silence is not, or not just, an absence (of words) but an active presence (Sabbadini, 1991, p.232). She also claims that silence creates space for words which are impossible to express (Sabbadini, 1991). In silence the therapist may both focus on observing the mental condition of the patient and his behavior and look for an explanation for a particular reaction of the patient to the given words.…”

“…According to Sabbadini, silence is a kind of compromise formation, that is the result of a conflict between different mental organizations, or the result of the tensions between different impulses. She claims that most cases of silence in therapy appear in response to experiencing an unconscious fear (Sabbadini, 1991). The basic therapeutic task, in the moments of silence on the part of the patient, is to decide whether or not to break it.…”

“…The basic therapeutic task, in the moments of silence on the part of the patient, is to decide whether or not to break it. And professional experience, sensitivity, tactfulness and the right timing all play a great role in the therapeutic process (Sabbadini, 1991). Silence from the perspective of the psychodynamic psychotherapy might be analyzed in respect to inner conflicts of a patient, his defense mechanisms and the style of social functioning (Lane et al, 2002).…”