ABSTRACT
In this chapter, a therapist's shift from the Kleinian orientation to a self-psychological orientation initiated a substantial improvement of a patient with bulimia nervosa (BN). In particular, the transition from experience-distant interpretations to experience-near interpretations allowed the patient to connect to actual feelings of loss and grievance that accounted for her bulimic symptoms. Illustratively, when the patient gave up her bulimic symptoms, the experience-near position allowed the therapist to mirror the patient's difficulty letting go of such a central aspect of her life, rather than interpreting it from without in terms of progress in therapy. At the end of therapy, the patient acknowledged her progress, saying "I find the world a calmer place, offering me many things that I should and I am allowed to taste. Literally."
