Dyssynchrony, Surprise, and Multiple Perspectives

ABSTRACT

The author, inspired by Anni Bergman’s work with an autistic child, describes a single play session in her work with a neurodiverse child. In this session, the first session following a missed appointment, the analyst attempts to “make sense out of nonsense” by choosing the child’s words she hopes to use as building blocks for a coherent narrative about separation and reunion, while passing over the words she finds unintelligible. A microanalysis of the analytic process reveals themes of dyssynchrony, surprise, and multiple perspectives. Using these themes to organize the meanings she takes from the verbal and nonverbal exchange in the session, she concludes that the experience of working with this – and other – neurodiverse patients offers the analyst a unique opportunity to challenge the usefulness of their clinical theories and to embrace a greater complexity. In doing so, the analyst is able to appreciate the essence of “co-creative meaning-making.”

KEYWORDS:

• Dyssynchrony
• development
• neurodiverse
• co-creativity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Alexandra Harrison

Alexandra Harrison is a Training and Supervising Analyst in Child and Adolescent and Adult Analysis at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, Associate Professor in Psychiatry Part-Time at Harvard Medical School, Core Faculty of Early Relational Health Fellowship at University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, and CEO of the nonprofit Supporting Child Caregivers, Inc.