Drawing on Thomas Ogden's notion of 'reverie', the role of self-reflection in research interviewing is explored. Ogden views reverie as a co-created intersubjective phenomenon, a 'third', distinct from both analyst and patient. Two face-to-face research interviews with adolescent depression sufferers are described, showing how reverie can be used to help overcome impasse, and develop research hypotheses. Participant-centred research interviews were thus shown to be enhanced by psychoanalytically informed self-reflection as accessed through reverie. The role of reverie in research interviewing, in part spontaneous and ineffable, in part defined and systematic, is discussed.
Countertransference Humans