Dr. Dragana Favre is a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and a seeker of the human psyche's mysteries. With a medical degree and extensive neuroscience education from prestigious institutions like the Max Planck Institute and Instituto de Neurociencias, she's a seasoned expert.
Imagine a gramophone, its needle gently gliding over the grooves of a spinning record. The vibrations travel outward, rippling into the air, creating music that fills the room. Each note resonates, carrying meaning and emotion. Now imagine, instead of a gramophone, two people sitting across from each other. Between them lies an invisible field, one that vibrates not with sound but with the subtle currents of emotion, thought, and unconscious resonance. This is the therapeutic field, an athanor, and a space as intricate and dynamic as the cosmic fields described by physicists. In this field, as in the universe itself, everything moves, oscillates, and transforms.
The therapeutic field can be thought of as a resonance chamber, a shared space where the vibrations of two individuals, the therapist, and the client, interact and create something new. This field is not static; it is alive with motion and potential. Physicists describe the universe as being filled with fields, from the electromagnetic field to the Higgs field; each governs the behavior of particles and gives rise to the fabric of reality. Similarly, the therapeutic field governs the dynamics of interaction, creating a relational reality where change becomes possible.
In quantum field theory, particles are seen not as isolated entities but as ripples in their respective fields. A photon, for instance, is a ripple in the electromagnetic field, while an electron is a ripple in the electron field. These ripples arise through interactions and are defined by their resonant frequencies. Similarly, within the therapeutic field, emotions, thoughts, and unconscious material manifest as ripples. A client’s expression of sadness might send out waves that the therapist feels as a somatic response or a shift in their own emotional state. These ripples are not one-way transmissions; they interact, amplify, or dampen each other, creating a dynamic interplay of resonance.
Resonance lies at the heart of both physics and psychotherapy. In physics, a resonant frequency is the natural frequency at which a system vibrates most readily. A guitar string, when plucked, vibrates at its resonant frequency, producing a tone we perceive as harmonious. In the therapeutic field, resonance occurs when the therapist and client's emotional or cognitive states align in a moment of mutual understanding or connection. These moments of resonance are akin to standing waves, where the vibrations stabilize and amplify, creating a shared sense of meaning or insight.
The field between therapist and client is shaped by the same principles that govern the universe's principles of equilibrium and restoring forces. In physics, a pendulum swings because of a restoring force that brings it back to equilibrium. Displace the pendulum, and gravity pulls it back, creating a rhythmic oscillation. In the therapeutic relationship, the field acts as a restorative medium, helping clients return to a state of balance when emotionally or psychologically displaced. This process is not linear or mechanical; it is deeply human and infused with the complexities of individual histories, emotions, and unconscious dynamics.
Consider a client who enters therapy in a state of chaos. Their emotions are fragmented; their thoughts are disjointed. They are like a pendulum floating in deep space, without a gravitational field to anchor them. The therapist's presence introduces a stabilizing influence, much like a gravitational field that steadies the pendulum and allows it to swing with a resonant frequency. The therapist's attunement to their ability to sense, reflect, and respond to the client's emotional state creates a restoring effect within the field. This attunement is not merely a skill; it is a form of resonance, where the therapist's own internal state adjusts to match and hold the client's experience.
In this shared field, emotions are transmitted and transformed. Neuropsychological research supports this idea, showing that human brains are wired for resonance through mirror neurons and other mechanisms of social attunement (Gallese, 2001). When a client speaks of their pain, the therapist's brain may mirror the client's emotional state, creating a sense of empathy. This mirroring is not passive; it is active and creative. Through the therapist's responses, the client's emotional waves are modulated, allowing them to be processed and integrated.
The dynamic nature of the therapeutic field also allows for profound transformations. Just as the Higgs field transforms particles by giving them mass, the therapeutic field gives psychological experiences a sense of weight and coherence. A client's vague and unarticulated feelings may initially seem like chaotic ripples; however, within the therapeutic field, these feelings can be shaped into something meaningful. Through dialogue and reflection, the client begins to see patterns, connections, and narratives. This process is akin to the formation of standing waves, where disorganized vibrations stabilize into a coherent form.
Transformation in the therapeutic field often involves moments of rupture and repair. These are moments when the field is disrupted, resonance breaks down, and misalignment occurs. Perhaps the therapist misunderstands the client, or the client projects unresolved emotions onto the therapist. These disruptions can feel unsettling, but they are also opportunities for growth. The process of repair, where the therapist and client work to restore resonance, strengthens the field and deepens the relationship. This aligns with the concept of enantiodromia in Jungian psychology, where an initial state of imbalance gives rise to its opposite, leading to a higher level of integration.
The interplay of resonance and transformation in the therapeutic field has deep philosophical and psychological implications. Jung's concept of the collective unconscious suggests that individuals are connected through a shared psychic substrate. The therapeutic field can be seen as a microcosm of this larger collective field, where archetypal patterns and symbols emerge. These patterns are not imposed by the therapist; they arise spontaneously through the interaction of two psyches. The therapist's role is to facilitate the client's engagement with these deeper layers of the psyche, much like a musician tuning an instrument to its resonant frequency.
The image of the gramophone from the beginning, with particles flying outward, is partially a poetic metaphor for this process. The vibrations emanating from the gramophone are not random; they carry the structure and harmony of the music inscribed on the record. Similarly, the ripples in the therapeutic field carry the imprints of the client's history, emotions, and unconscious material. These ripples interact with the therapist's own patterns, creating a complex and evolving melody. The therapeutic process becomes a co-creation, where both participants contribute to the unfolding of meaning and transformation (not to forget, at the opportune moment, Kairos).
The resonance of the therapeutic field also aligns with contemporary neuroscientific findings. Studies in interpersonal neurobiology suggest that human relationships are inherently rhythmic and patterned (Siegel, 2012). The synchrony between therapist and client seen in matching heart rates, breathing patterns, and neural activity is a physical manifestation of the resonance within the field. This synchrony creates a sense of safety and trust, enabling clients to explore vulnerable and painful aspects of their experience.
The therapeutic field, like the universe itself, is a space of potential and emergence. It is not merely a backdrop for interaction; it is an active participant in the process of healing and growth. Within this field, the vibrations of emotion and thought create ripples that can transform lives. The therapist's attunement, the client's openness, and the dynamic interplay between them generate a resonance that extends beyond the immediate moment, touching deeper layers of the psyche and even the collective unconscious.
In the end, the therapeutic field reminds us that we are not isolated beings but interconnected vibrations within a vast and resonant cosmos (and pluriverses). Just as the Higgs field gave the universe its structure and substance, the therapeutic field gives our emotional and relational experiences a sense of meaning and coherence. It is through this field that transformation becomes possible, not as a mechanical process, but as a living, dynamic, and profoundly human experience. And so, like the music from the gramophone, the ripples of the therapeutic field continue to expand, creating harmonies that resonate far beyond the boundaries of the psychotherapeutic athanor.
Dragana Favre, Psychiatrist and Jungian Psychotherapist
Dr. Dragana Favre is a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and a seeker of the human psyche's mysteries. With a medical degree and extensive neuroscience education from prestigious institutions like the Max Planck Institute and Instituto de Neurociencias, she's a seasoned expert. Her unique approach combines Jungian psychotherapy, EMDR, and dream interpretation, guiding patients towards self-discovery and healing. Beyond her profession, Dr. Favre is passionate about science fiction, nature, and cosmology. Her ex-Yugoslavian roots in the small town of Kikinda offer a rich backdrop to her life's journey. She is dedicated to helping people find their true selves, much like an alchemist turning lead into gold.
