We suggest the notion of adolescent romance, to be understood in this way : the articulation of the structure of the family romance with pubertary scenes, as « new » scenes or composition/creations, within a dimension that is more elaborative than defensive. The adolescent romance is not a simple re-issue, but rather the creation of a desiring scenario whose movement requires three logical steps: a switching on of the structures of family romance ; then, the highlighting of pubertary scenes composed of « blazons » attached to the desiring axes ; and lastly, a narrative movement which produces this adolescent romans in the transference in the clinical exchanges. In the cases of Gunther and Celeste, the romances are analyzed, their forms as well as their functions of elaboration and of psychical construction in the service of adolescens processes. The adolescent romance, when it reveals itself in the transference, is specific and is distinguished from the Freudian family romance by the representativeness of the pubertary scenes.
This article discusses processes involved in articulating and evaluating a model of time-limited psychodynamic psychotherapy for young people (TPP-A). Through the therapeutic focus on a significant area of developmental difficulty and/or disturbance, within a time-limited period, TPP-A aims to enable the young person to recover the capacity to meet developmental challenges and/or have this capacity strengthened. The article elaborates key aspects of the model and discusses an illustrative case.
Is there such thing as psychoanalysis of the adolescent ? Two points of view will be refuted, one which considers adolescence as the moment of repression after-the-fact and one which is frightened of the danger of enflamed passions in a two-person clinical situation. The history of theoretical elaborations about adolescence introduces one to a conception of the encounter between the psychoanalyst and the adolescent that can shed light on psychoanalytical practice with the adult.
The Freudian method of interpreting drive conflict and the transference is applicable with the adolescent, as is demonstrated by the treatment of a young adolescent presenting anorexic and addictive disorders. Here borderline ways of functioning correspond to contra-phobic projective defenses, repression being covered by splitting.
Some hypotheses are advanced concerning current adolescent and young adult pathologies (paradoxical recourse to forms of excitation meant to de-sexualize, externalization of psychical interiority) in a context of « civilization and its discontents ».
Adolescence, 2011, T. 29 n°2, pp. 245-270.
Revue semestrielle de psychanalyse, psychopathologie et sciences humaines, indexée AERES au listing PsycINFO publiée avec le concours du Centre National du Livre et de l’Université de Paris Diderot Paris 7