Page - 62 - in Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Puberty and Adolescence - The Inner Worlds of Teenagers and their Parents

62 Psychosexual development in puberty Discussion In the second session we write together, Elfi exhibits far more confidence. She had been looking forward to continuing the story and immediately went to take the pad of paper out of the drawer it was in. Elfi projects her feelings of embarrassment onto the boy in the story: he is ashamed of his “cute” long underwear, and she is the one on top of things, who has seen her brothers in their long underwear. She is interested in the boy’s body, she touches and tickles him, and this gives her a good feeling – but she finds it easier when I am participating in the story. I attempt not to intrude any substantive points into the plot, but to investigate her feelings and encourage her to express them. She shows very clearly that she enjoys expressing this fantasy of being together with a “pal”, which gives hope for her development. Clearly, I should not disturb this fantasy through offering interpretations, lest she break off her fantasizing. In countertransference, I am glad for Elfi’s story, and afraid that she will break off if I interpret it. Elfi and her story manage to retain their lively quality without becoming too “heavy”. This entails a delicate balance between exploring sexual fantasies further and not being intrusive. I had the impression of allowing Elfi, like a shy animal, to leave her psychic retreat and to investigate the free world of fantasy, thus exposing herself to the world. It was possible to let her experience together with her analyst what it is like to playfully sketch out an erotic experience with a boy. This playful experience gives hope for Elfi’s later imagining a loving relationship to a boy. In the next session, Elfi immediately proceeds to her drawer and takes out the pad of paper. She first reads the story out loud, correcting some mistakes she notices, and then hands me the pad. We are meant to alternate sentences as before, continuing the story. She begins, saying: “It’s your turn.” Analyst: He says: “What should we do now? Do you want to have breakfast or just go to the beach?” Elfi: Let’s have a big breakfast. He says: “OK, let’s go eat something and see who gets there first”. Analyst: Both of them start off . . . Elfi: Later after breakfast, Felix discovers a path. He discovers eight water slides, and they’re supercool and dangerous. Beside that was a beach with banana boats, surfboards and water -skiers. Analyst: He shows her everything you can do on a beach. She says: “This is a REAL water paradise; I didn’t see that yesterday. Where should we begin?” Elfi: He says: “Let’s start with the slides, they are super. Oh God, you’re right, the slides with a U -shape are super”. They slide together and had a lot of fun. They both had a strange feeling while they were sliding. Felix said: Analyst: “Super. While I slide I have such an exciting feeling in my body. Let’s slide again”. Elfi: “I also have such a funny feeling but kind of unpleasant but also fun. Let’s slide three times more and then go on to another slide”.