The present article offers a close reading of Reik’s theory of symptom-formation. Drawing on two-person aspects of Freud’s work, Reik argues that human beings have a basic need to express ourselves to others. The child’s expressions develop as compromi…

Psychoanalysis is experiencing a decreasing presence in predoctoral education. The promotion by the American Psychological Association of so-called “evidence-based treatments” reflects the dominance of technocratic, positivistic epistemology, and cogni…

This article begins to lay the foundation for assessing Reik’s contributions to psychoanalysis by clarifying his views. Reik’s theory is organized around an emphasis on sequencing. Psychoanalytic listening has a natural sequence that begins with uncons…

Reviews the movie, Sideways (2004). The film, Sideways, has been critically acclaimed for its screenplay, cinematography, and acting. Criticism from some quarters centered on the implausibility of the story, notably regarding the attractiveness of the …

The focus of this article is the psychological processes occurring in the analysand and the analyst, and shaping the exchanges between them. These processes have been given by Otto Isakower the metaphorical name of the analyzing instrument while Theodo…

This article describes two interviews with Theodor Reik. Explored topics include Reik’s relationship with Sigmund Freud, psychoanalytic literature, and the history of the psychoanalytic movement. The author concludes with an analysis of his impressions…