ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses two themes: fluidity and consolidation. Fluidity refers to the capacity to move in and out of the interpretive process with dexterity, finesse, and spontaneity. Consolidation addresses the various skills and focal areas of the interpretive as yet unaddressed in this volume. Developing fluidity with interpretation requires the analyst to sufficiently internalize the process so that interpretations can be offered in the flow of the analytic moment without sounding contrived, distant, mechanical, or overly intellectualized. In addition to the technical skills of interpretation, fluidity also involves the capacity to recognize and link together elements of the analytic experience while also participating in the moment. Therefore, fluidity involves the capacity to recognize meaningful patterns in the patient’s affective, somatic, verbal, and behavioral presence as well as in their life narrative and in the transference/countertransference matrix. Noticing these patterns often involves recognizing the action of metaphor and symbol. The section on consolidation gathers the various bits of practical advice, guiding principles, and suggestions for interpretation that have not yet found a place in this volume, including: a focus on experience, the frequency of interpretation in the analytic session, the utilization of action-oriented language, the importance of clarity and provisionality, avoiding the use of analytic conceptual jargon, and the close reciprocal connection between interpretation and relational aspects of analysis.
