Clinical material

This colloquium centered around the presentation of two cases in order to discuss the various clinical, theoretical, and educational questions which arise about the conversion of psychotherapy to a psychoanalysis with the same therapist. The participants agreed, consistent with the literature, that there was no contraindication to converting a psychotherapy that has been conducted in accord with sound analytic principles. The guidelines of when such conversion is indicated, and the timing and implementation of the actual transition, were discussed. The outcome of the subsequent analysis does not seem to be related either to the fact of there having been a prior psychotherapy or the conversion, though the meaning of both must be analyzed; but rather to the patients' genetic and dynamic conflicts and their fulfilling the criteria of analyzability. The number of training cases which develop from conversions seem to be on the rise and to afford candidates an excellent educational opportunity.