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that exist in the interactions between therapist and patient, not merely in the patient's
psychopathology.
Relational conceptualizations of ruptures. The 1980's marked the emergence of
relational thinking in contemporary psychoanalytic theories (Mitchell, 1988). Relational
theory is integrative in nature; it synthesizes theories from diverse areas such as
American interpersonal theory, British object relations theory, self-psychology, as well as
existential and postmodern theories. Relational theory places emphasis on the
interpersonal and intersubjective nature of therapeutic interaction, which stands in
contrast to the more traditional view of the alliance as aspects of a patient's transference
to the therapist. An interpersonal and intersubjective understanding of the alliance and of
ruptures posits that both the patient and therapist contribute to the strengthening, as well
as to the weakening, of the alliance.
Relational theory attempts to elucidate the very nature of being human. In
Safran's (1993) Breaches in the therapeutic alliance: an arena for negotiating authentic
relatedness, Safran writes, "In life we must all inevitably negotiate the paradox that by
the very nature of our existence we are both alone and yet inescapably in the world with
others." At the same time, Safran posits, "we are born in relationship with others and
attain a sense of self only in relation to others" (pp. 14 - 15). Thus, at the very core of
each relationship, is the negotiation of one's sense of relatedness with another.
Research on Ruptures in the Therapeutic Alliance
Empirical support for interpersonal and relational approaches to the handling of
ruptures can be found in research in contemporary forms of psychodynamic therapy.
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