Posted by Dr. Bob on October 10, 2000, at 15:21:51
In reply to Re: Hypotheses about Online Text Communication, posted by noa on October 10, 2000, at 7:56:26
> Well, I guess I was thinking about how more traditionally psychodynamic therapies bank on the patient forming a transferential relationship with the therapist that is based on a child:parent relationship
Ah, I see what you're saying. But maybe there could still be other transferential relationships?
> If it is true that online communication levels the balance of power somewhat, then, online communication might be a good fit for approaches, such as feminist psychotherapy, that try to minimize as much as possible, this power differential.
Hmm, interesting point...
> > > In ... the twinship or alter-ego transference, the patient perceives the therapist to be psychologically similar to himself or herself. Conceptually the patient perceives the therapist and himself or herself to be twins, separate but alike. In the twinship transference for the selfobject cohesion to be maintained, it is necessary for the patient to view the therapist as ‘just like me’ (Manfield, 1992).
>
> This concept has always seemed a bit fuzzy to me, I must admit. Perhaps because the therapists I have had are men? I wonder if this twinship phenomenon is stronger in same gender pairings of therapist and clientThat would make sense to me...
> and I wonder how gender issues are affected by communicating online rather than in person.
Great question!
> Another thing about twinship: isn't humor (laughing at the same joke evokes a sense of alikeness) something that would facilitate this, and how is humor affected by the online relationship vs. in-person?
Another great question!
Bob
poster:Dr. Bob
thread:844
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20000813/msgs/932.html