Moments of Silent Intimacy in Psychotherapy: Experiences of Awareness and Recognition

This paper is a further exploration of emotional connection between psychoanalyst and patient. Moments of silence, in particular, can be experiences of shared intimacy, each participant aware that the other knows who they are. Using relational concepts described by Donnel Stern and integrating them with Susanne Langer’s observations about the wordless relationship between the musical performer and listener allows one to describe the processes of creative expression and creative experience as they appear to function within the psychoanalytic dyad around these moments of intimate silence. If, as Stern suggests, the words spoken by the analyst are often an acknowledgment that a shift has occurred in the interpersonal field, then perhaps the ensuing moments of silence are the opportunity for analyst and patient to jointly experience this altered configuration.