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Intersubjectivity is a construct that is found in the thinking of a variety of psychoanalytic theorists, such as Aron, Benjamin, Mitchell, Ogden, Stern, and Stolorow, who use it to describe their vision of the relational dimension of the psychoanalytic process. However, all of these important contributors have come to intersubjectivity from their own theoretical and philosophical traditions, attribute their own unique meanings to intersubjectivity, and apply it in their own particular way. Unfortunately, space and time do not permit us to discuss the various meanings that these theorists apply to intersubjectivity. (See Teicholz 1999a and Psychoanalytic Dialogues, 10(2), 2000, for discussions of some of the various uses of the term intersubjectivity.)

Our interest has been drawn to the work of Stolorow, Atwood, Brandchaft, Orange, and other like-minded colleagues and collaborators and their particular understanding of intersubjectivity. Briefly, this view is founded on two assumptions: that our subjectivity (our moment-by-moment experience of ourselves and the world) emerges within a dynamic, fluid context of interfacing subjectivities, and that we can never completely bracket our subjectivities to observe things as they “really” exist. This book then grows out of the personal meanings that this view of intersubjectivity has for us. Our view is in no way meant to diminish the significance and importance of the contributions of other theorists. It is just that intersubjectivity, as it has been elaborated and articulated by Stolorow, Atwood, Brandchaft, and Orange, speaks to us most clearly. Therefore, when we discuss intersubjectivity throughout this book, we are referring to the particular meanings and understandings that we have derived from that body of literature. While we locate ourselves and this book within this psychoanalytic tradition, we do not presume that others in this tradition will agree with all we have said.

Intersubjectivity theory is to us a modern relational psychoanalytic theory. Like other nonstatic psychoanalytic theories, intersubjectivity theory and practice are continually under construction, being elaborated and refined over time. We hope that this book will contribute to the evolution, development, and dissemination of this intersubjective perspective.

This book discusses how our intersubjective perspective informs, shapes, and guides the psychotherapeutic process. We have developed our ideas using as little technical jargon as possible. However, each theory speaks in its own specialized language and requires its own vocabulary. Therefore, becoming fluent in the language of intersubjectivity theory requires adjusting one’s ear to new terms and concepts. Sometimes familiar terms and concepts are used in new ways with new meanings. This is an unfortunate source of confusion, and, where possible, we have tried to use nontraditional words to indicate different meanings. For example, we prefer the term articulation to interpretation. Even though both refer to the therapist’s verbal intervention, by articulation, we intend something different from the traditional meanings ascribed to interpretation.

Chapter 2, “Subjectivity and Intersubjectivity,” consists of an overview of the theory of intersubjectivity. We introduce the language of intersubjectivity and describe the fundamental concepts. Theory necessarily informs practice, and chapter 2 provides the framework for later chapters on practice.

Chapter 3, “The Intersubjective Sensibility,” addresses some of the fundamental assumptions we make about the nature of treatment and the organization of psychopathology. In addition to the theory of mind, this chapter describes our mindset as we approach the treatment situation.

Chapter 4, “Understanding the Patient’s State of Mind: Affect Attunement and the Empathic-Introspective Stance,” discusses the centrality of affect in personality formation and malformation. We describe the therapist’s primary listening stance, distinguishing it from the activity of responding to affect.

Chapter 5, “The Centrality of Relationship,” addresses the importance of the therapist-patient relationship and its significance within the intersubjective perspective. In this chapter, we subscribe to a revised view of the traditional notion of “transference.”

Chapter 6, “Practicing Intersubjectively,” offers an overview of the practice of psychotherapy from the intersubjective perspective. We offer a variety of practice guidelines for beginning therapists and those new to working from this particular intersubjective perspective.

Chapter 7, “The Articulation of Subjective Experience,” discusses the articulation of the patient’s subjective experience. We provide a verbatim transcript edit.

Chapter 8, “The Antidote Dimension of the Therapy Relationship,” highlights a particular, common aspect of the therapeutic relationship that has not received much attention.

Chapter 11, “Expanding the Field: Intersubjectivity Theory and Supervision,” offers our thoughts on the supervision process. While supervision typically focuses on either the patient or the therapist, from the intersubjective perspective, the supervisor is inevitably part of the treatment context, and supervision must address the entire intersubjective field formed by the mutually influencing subjectivities of supervisor, supervisee, and patient.

Chapter 12, “The Treatment of a Patient from the Intersubjective Perspective,” provides a lengthy case report of the first year of treatment of a forty-year-old man. This case report, written with H. C. Brunette, summarizes her treatment of this man, which was simultaneously supervised by both Buirski and Haglund. We provide extensive verbatim material and commentary on the treatment.

Translating theory into practice involves the very processes we explore in this book. That is, we necessarily view the evolving understanding of the intersubjective perspective from our own subjectivities and within our individual contexts as supervisors and practitioners. Not surprisingly, the very process of writing this book, which grew out of our collaborating and intersecting subjectivities, has influenced our understanding and practice. As we are limited by our subjectivities, we hope to encourage future thinking and discussion on the application of intersubjectivity theory to the practice of psychotherapy, and we look forward to what will emerge from this dialogue.