ABSTRACT
This case presentation describes a clinician’s evolution from being stuck in one of the potential pitfalls of the developmental/deficit model of psychoanalysis to resolving the enactment through the deft use of some key concepts of the interpersonal model. At the outset, we are struck by the analyst’s earnest desire to reparent the patient, April, by making up for her lack of good-enough mothering. We are also impressed with the analyst’s dedication to helping April find meaning in her life. This approach appears to be very effective for the first six months of treatment; it lays the foundation for a strong therapeutic alliance. However, it appears to have run its course once April is stabilized and in a new job. As the analyst writes, “I can recall very few sessions other than those in the early part of her treatment where it felt as though we were emotionally engaged and in the room together.”
