ABSTRACT
In this chapter, Sue Grand interviews Jessica Benjamin. Have there been any lacunae, or excesses in relational theory or practice? How do we answer the critiques of others? Benjamin clarifies common misunderstandings of her concepts of inter-subjectivity and mutual recognition in clinical process, articulating a developmentally nuanced approach of analytic mirroring and attunement. For Benjamin, this approach carefully titrates the analyst’s subjectivity, allowing for private reflective space. In this wide-ranging conversation, she also draws on other literatures, suggesting that relational clinicians need to balance this work with a greater focus on unconscious fantasy, and on the nature of aggression.
