ABSTRACT
The most traditional method of psychotherapy entails having the client speak. Early psychoanalysis had the person say whatever came to mind (free association). More generally, however, the client speaks of feelings and memories that seem related to his or her suffering. This method has revealed a valuable addition to B&Y teachings about the cravings. Clients often fail to recognize within themselves subtle irritations, angers, fears, or sexual impulses. These unacknowledged agitations and cravings are frequently the source of the clients’ symptoms, such as anguish or compulsions. An important goal of this “talking cure” is for the client to perceive these subtle emotional states and to understand how they relate to his or her unhappiness.
