ABSTRACT

In the course of an analysis it is not uncommon to discern signifi cant and meaningful changes that nevertheless cannot be pinned down and securely established. They may be inferred rather than discovered, they may only be hinted at by the patient, or they may be identifi able but so disguised or confused that their signifi cance is ignored. A further step seems to be required to transform such developments into a more tangible and stable form. This step seems to require that the changes are made observable and explicit. Without this extra step they remain hidden and are sometimes felt as only potential, so that the patient is protected from needing to face the consequences. However, when they become observable the patient feels exposed and often threatened.