ABSTRACT
Relational approaches to contemporary psychoanalysis and psychotherapy have garnered international appeal for the way they apply to clinical practice across many mental health disciplines and population groups. Despite the recent success of the relational movement, theoretical fine-tuning problems still persist. Throughout this article I will revisit what I find to be the greatest theoretical challenges to relational perspectives requiring amendment and rectification: namely, the negation of biological drives, and the displacement of the unconscious. After championing the value of relational principles in the consulting room, I offer my own view of what constitutes effective praxis with regards to clinical theory and technique.
