ABSTRACT
The theme of “hide and seek” has been a strong and important thread throughout my life – the need to withdraw, blend in and fend off intrusion, countered by the wish to be affirmed, acknowledged and celebrated – has been prevalent both in my life as a performer and my professional life as a clinician. In my roles as both patient and analyst, I have wrestled with, and borne witness to, the struggle in myself and others, to retreat in fear, and to hide in shame. In my roles as actor and vocalist, I have known the exhilaration of creative expression and the joy of mutual resonance in performance, and that experience has allowed me a deep understanding of my young patients’ strivings to hide and to be found, recognized and applauded. The point of “hide and seek” is not to hide for its own sake; the goal is to be sought, and to be joyfully found.
