ABSTRACT
Any psychoanalyst who knows a little about the history of psychoanalysis will know that the so-called “borderline” cases were not seen as such when psychoanalysis was in its beginnings. When Robert Wallerstein went searching for a “common ground” to address the fragmentation of psychoanalytic theory, his reflections led him to the conclusion that it was not on the theoretical side but on the practical side that one should look for it. Interpretations should vary according to the responsiveness, which is very unsteady, of the patient. When the patient shows a willingness to work by herself/himself in a “transferred”, transference interpretations could be kept to a minimum, when the need arises to give new impetus to an associative process in fear of running dry. Psychoanalysis will not survive its crisis through administrative measures but only through the enthusiasm of its analysts in seeking new answers to problems, some of which are starting to take on a certain age.
