Psychoanalysis.  2022 Apr;33(2):31-35. 10.18529/psychoanal.2022.33.2.31.

Holding and Its Clinical Vignettes

• Jang H

• KMID: 2528452
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.18529/psychoanal.2022.33.2.31

Abstract

Contrary to Freud, who understood childhood state of mind through observation and understanding of adult patients, Winnicott, as a pediatrician, directly observed numerous children, mothers, and their interactions in his practice and postulated his theory of childhood state of mind as either healthy or pathologic. Among his contributions to psychoanalysis, ‘holding’ and ‘good enough mother’ are concepts of interest in this paper. Winnicott, as well as other theorists after S. Freud has been known for paving the way into understanding and treating so-called ‘sicker’ patients such as borderline patients. In this paper, I illustrate and discuss a couple of clinical vignettes to understand and help the patient in an emotionally overwhelmed state. Particularly I highlight the differentiation of the real and fantasy and/or mentalization of the patient through the proper clinical application of the ‘holding’.

Keyword

Holding; Mentalization; Reality testing; Fantasy