It Takes Two to Know One: The Therapy Relationship and Unconscious Dialogues (Relational Perspectives Book Series)

This book explores the nature of relational psychoanalysis in clinical practice, drawing on the author’s over four decades of clinical experience as a firstgeneration relational psychoanalyst and many of his foundational papers written over the past 25 years.

Bass’s book demonstrates the depth, scope, and healing power of mutual transformation for patient and analyst within an elastic and flexible analytic frame. Patient and analyst demonstrably co-create the psychotherapeutic space, situation, structure, and experience, and together, promote mutual growth and healing. Drawing on the revolutionary work of Sándor Ferenczi, this book expands our understanding of therapy as “dialogue of unconsciousness,” revealing the ways in which the bi-directional currents of unconscious communication may be creatively utilized as an essential therapeutic tool. It sheds light on the conditions and approaches best suited for actualizing a flexible, contextual, creative use of the therapist’s self in therapy, establishing an ever-deepening foundation for therapeutic work.

With illuminating case studies and accessible language, this book is a must-read for psychotherapists practicing a wide range of dynamically informed approaches and for anyone interested in learning about new developments in therapy as it is practiced today.

Anthony Bass, Ph.D., is an associate professor and clinical consultant at the NYU Postdoctoral Program in Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy. He is a faculty member, and a training and supervising analyst at the Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research. He is the founder and president of the Stephen Mitchell Relational Study Center, a founding director of The International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, as well as a founding editor, former Editor-in-Chief and current editor Emeritus of Psychoanalytic Dialogues: The International Journal of Relational Perspectives. In addition, he serves on the board of directors of the Sándor Ferenczi Center at the New School for Social Research, NYC. He lectures and leads clinical workshops and seminars on the therapeutic relationship, unconscious communication between therapist and patient, and the work of Sándor Ferenczi worldwide.