Psychoanalytic theories of the patient's silence

Abstract

Different ways of understanding the meaning  and function  of a patient's silence can be traced back to early Freud. His interpretation of silence as a violation of the fundamental analytic rule has been followed by explanations of the purpose of such resistance. Ego psychologists associated silence with the dynamic of various ego functions. Object relations theorists, on the other hand, contextualized it in terms of regression, the process of separation, and the pursuit of a corrective emotional experience. A significant shift occurred in Winnicott's works. He viewed silence as a progression in the psychotherapeutic process, providing a space for understanding silence as a possibility for establishing a deeper therapeutic relationship between therapist and patient. More recent theories see silence as an intersubjective construct representing a field for further research. This article presents the perspectives of various authors on a patient's silence. In conclusion, some possibilities for further research are discussed.