ABSTRACT
The therapist was doing some holding simply by listening with feeling, and some more by sympathetically voicing her interest in what her patient was saying, her concern for her and, yes, her sympathy. The simple forms of holding are: recognizing, understanding and accepting. The self is built up from a slow process during which experiences are integrated and metabolized, and successively, with further experiences, re-integrated, re-metabolized. At each moment in time, the self performs a contextual and holding function for the next inflow of experiences. In the process of integration, experiences become changed, metabolized. Patterns of words interpret experiences and give them further meaning. Patterns of words enable us to reflect, to communicate and elaborate meaning. The gradual progression holds for the development of adult ego-functioning: attaining concepts, fitting concepts to words and words to concepts, making connections, understanding meaning, seeing implications from the past, reflecting upon events, making plans, and so on.
