COMING TO TERMS WITH INTERSUBJECTIVITY: KEEPING LANGUAGE IN MIND

Recent reports of clinical experiences, from multiple theoretical per-spectives using different terminologies, converge on the topic of the origin and nature of intersubjectivity as it emerges in clinical interactions. Intersubjectivity is explored from the point of view of language and com-munication, and the distinctive properties of language that create a shared intrapsychic world, on which intersubjectivity subtends, are dis-cussed. This viewpoint can explain behavior and pathologies that arise from the struggle to maintain one’s personal subjectivity in an intersub-jective world. Understanding the role and functions of language may also illuminate the therapeutic benefits of talk-based therapies