New Books in Psychoanalysis Robert Caper, "Bion and Thoughts Too Deep for Words: Psychoanalysis, Suggestion, and the Language of the Unconscious" (Routledge, 2020)
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Dec 11, 2024 Robert Caper, a U.S. psychoanalyst and author, engages deeply with the foundations of psychoanalysis and W.R. Bion’s theories. He discusses the critical role of language in therapy, exploring how suggestion can divert from discovering deeper truths. Caper introduces the concept of maternal versus paternal containers, highlighting their influences on patient well-being. He stresses the analyst's responsibility to confront uncomfortable realities, rather than simply affirm patients’ beliefs, and delves into the complex dynamics of containment in therapeutic relationships.
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Maternal and Paternal Containment
- Caper introduces maternal containment (understanding and interpreting) and paternal containment (protecting the analytic process).
- Paternal containment shields the analyst from patient attacks driven by envy of the analyst's containing capacity.
Attacking the Container
- Patients attack the maternal container out of envy and fear of deeper self-discovery.
- Supportive psychotherapy avoids this conflict by preemptively cooperating with the patient's fear.
Playing with the Analyst
- Patients "play" with analysts by enacting scenarios and trying to shape them into desired roles, similar to child's play therapy.
- Analysts become "emotional toys," observing these enactments and interpreting the underlying needs and fantasies.
