A: More puzzled. [A long pause followed during which Clarisse was unusually silent and thoughtful. During the pause the analyst was riveted by an association to a model scene in which Clarisse against her parents' prohibition had begun smoking and experimenting with drugs. She was frightened about herself and while throwing her butts down the toilet she left her room reeking with the odor of smoke. Her mother never mentioned the odor or asked about Clarisse's smoking. She would leave the window open to clear the smell. Clarisse had described this scene several times and the analyst felt free to refer to it.]

C: [Wells up.]

Disrupted Communication: The Interplay of Gestural and Verbal Modes

In contrast to the free-flowing verbal exchanges between the prior analysand and analyst, the next example describes the basically nonverbal communication between a depressed, bitter, resistant patient and an analyst trying to foster a minimal attachment experience.