ABSTRACT

This book focuses on the intrapsychic experience of self, concentrating on the subjectivity of the infant’s developing mind and presenting the thesis that trauma is an inherent part of normal development. It redefines trauma, employing new perspectives on intrapsychic development, structure, and reality. Intrapsychic trauma creates character structure, resulting in organizations of selfhood that evolve from impingements on the self’s complete and unhindered functioning.

This chapter proposes a listening perspective concerning Self, Affect, and Other (SAO) in object relations organization and its foundation in traumatic experiences of normal development (TEND). Relational trauma is universal and a normal part of development.

SAO/TEND, the book’s listening perspective, provides an integrated, intersubjective, object relations framework for attending to the intrapsychic mind in its relational context and for recognizing the ways in which everyday living may create traumatic experiences for the developing infant and affect future development of selfhood and relationship with others. SAO/TEND bridges the trauma and analytic communities, which have otherwise been at odds. It also fills a gap in current theories, models, and listening stances by providing a trauma-based band of attunement in attending to relational experiences, including therapeutic encounters.