ABSTRACT
By "interpretive action" this chapter describes the analyst's communication of his understanding of an aspect of the transference-countertransference to the analysand by means of activity other than that of verbal symbolization. The significance of interpretive action lies in its capacity to convey to the analysand aspects of the analyst's understanding of unconscious transference-countertransference meanings at a time when such understandings cannot be communicated to the patient in the form of verbally symbolized interpretation alone. The chapter focuses on the analyst's actions as an interpretive vehicle for conveying to the patient specific aspects of the analyst's understanding of unconscious transference-countertransference meanings. It illustrates the importance of the way in which aspects of the interpretive process take the form of symbolic action on the part of the analyst and the ways in which these forms of interpretation are drawn from experiences in and of the analytic third.
