May 18, 2022 “Truth is the thing between us: Thomas Ogden’s attempt to locate emotional verity in the clinical setting” with Dana Blue, LICSW, FIPA

In this age of misinformation, the Thirteenth International Evolving British Object Relations conference occurring online this fall is devoted to the allied subjects of truth-telling and lying. The May Pre-EBOR Scientific Meeting features Dana Blue's facilitation of a discussion of Thomas Ogden’s 2003 paper “What’s true and whose idea was it?” Psychoanalysis mainly, though not exclusively, employs the medium of spoken language. Language can be used to further analytic exploration or it can be misshapen to serve other ends, at times with catastrophic consequences. Additionally, the pull to evade suffering, upon which learning and growth depend, is strong. Ogden’s paper represents an early attempt in the field of psychoanalysis to clarify the domain of unconscious intersubjectivity. Through consideration of a detailed clinical report, he offers navigational tools and helps us to appreciate the importance of emotional truth as the foundation of psychological growth.