Ready Or Not, Here I Come: Surrender, Recognition, And Mutuality in Psychotherapy‪.‬

Randall Lehman Sorenson practiced what he preached as a scholar, teacher, and clinical psychoanalyst. In my experiences with him in personal and professional contexts, he encouraged relationships characterized by mutuality, respect, curiosity, and genuine personal involvement. These key values and processes distinguish relational psychoanalytic psychology. This article will explore the clinical outworking of two interrelated concepts; namely, mutual recognition and self-assertion in the psychotherapy relationship. These together are foundational to the creation of what Benjamin (1995) calls intersubjectivity. I will develop a particular focus on how to move out of moments of relational impasse and into a new experience of freedom and possibility for growth. An in-depth case presentation with a particular focus on therapeutic interaction will illustrate the struggle toward mutuality and recognition, and the powerful positive effects for both persons in the relationship. **********