Empathy: Psychoanalytic perspectives. Insights into the psychoanalytic treatment and the empirical research in psychoanalysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.6093/1593-7178/9650Abstract
The paper investigates empathy within the framework of the psychoanalytic treatment as well as in empirical research in psychoanalysis and cognitive science.
Within the configuration of the psychoanalytic treatment, a theoretical and clinical outline of the phenomena of empathy turns out to be everything but simple, due to the interplay within the psychoanalytic process between the transference of the patient, which is characterized by illusions and self-deceptions, and the countertransference of the analyst.
On the other hand, empathy as well as the analytic relation and the therapeutic alliance – or working alliance – constitute those moments of reality in a psychoanalytic treatment, which are far less distorted by the mirages and delusions of the transference. Therefore, by dealing with the topic of empathy, also the analytic relation and real therapeutic alliance should be taken into account.
The paper will also explore feasible intersections between recent psychoanalytic approaches to empathy and current phenomenological studies on this topic.
Finally, following the investigation of the topic in the frame of reference of theoretical and clinical psychoanalysis, also the psychoanalytic empirical research on empathy of Lester Luborsky and Peter Fonagy as well as the cognitive research of Simon Baron-Cohen on this topic will be considered.
Keywords: Cognitive Research, Empathy, Psychoanalytic Empirical Research, Psychoanalytic Relation, Therapeutic/Working Alliance
Downloads
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
The author retains the copyright of his work whilst granting anyone the possibility “to reproduce, distribute, publicly communicate, publicly exhibit, display, perform and recite the work”, provided that the author and the title of the journal are cited correctly. When submitting the text for publication the author is furthermore required to declare that the contents and the structure of the work are original and that it does not by any means compromise the rights of third parties nor the obligations connected to the safeguard of the moral and economic rights of other authors or other right holders, both for texts, images, photographs, tables, as well as for other parts which compose the contribution. The author furthermore declares that he/she is conscious of the sanctions prescribed by the penal code and by the Italian Criminal and Special Laws for false documents and the use false documents, and that therefore Bollettino Filosofico is not liable to responsibilities of any nature, civil, administrative or penal, and that the author agrees to indemnify and hold Bollettino Filosofico harmless from all requests and claims by third parties.