ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the role of silence as contrasted to speech and writes that speech is often a clumsy tool in psychoanalysis and shows that silence can indeed be integrated fully into the psychoanalytic process. It describes the point that silence should be considered an integral part of the relationship between patient and therapist and demonstrates that silence might be as eloquent as the speech in the psychotherapeutic situation. The book discusses crying and states that it occurs in the psychoanalytic situation as a potent mode of nonverbal communication. It traces the origin of gifts in terms of its roots in language, cultural history, and universal symbolism. The book shows that gifts that are presented during therapy are a special form of communication and have roots in the unconscious fantasy of the patient.
