ABSTRACT
In psychoanalysis, the description of what happens in the relationship between several subjects is not limited to an object relations perspective. In the intersubjective-world the presence of the other needs to be considered, not as something accessory but as a presence that cannot be cloaked completely by the projection–introjection mechanisms. The other appears as an object of imposition forcing the other ego to undergo some psychic processing to deal with that presence. In this chapter, the theoretical approach link theory (el vínculo) is explained, in order to define and enlighten the field of couple and family psychoanalysis from a different perspective highlighting what each theoretical perspective adds to our knowledge of human interactions. The concept of the subject of the link is also described. Clinical material is used to illustrate these concepts.
