Intersubjectivity and Otherness in the Clinical Encounter

Intersubjectivity is an increasingly prominent construct across multiple disciplines, ranging from philosophy to psychology and neuroscience, as it plays a central role in shaping the SelfOther relationship. The present contribution aims to offer a reformulation of this concept within a psychotherapeutic framework, articulating the phenomenon into three distinct dimensions that can be traced throughout the unfolding of the therapeutic process. The first concerns the initial encounter, the very first sensations experienced by both patient and therapist. The second dimension marks the transition from sensation to perception, namely the shared awareness, on the part of both patient and therapist, of the possibility of coconstructing a therapeutic process. The third revolves around the function of dissociation and the process of integration, through which an attempt is made to answer, from a phenomenological perspective, to a central question: what can intersubjectivity do? Intersubjectivity can play a crucial role in the success of therapy, as it enables both parties to reconfigure their own functioning in light of the factors that gradually arise within the therapistpatient relationship.

Keywords: Intersubjectivity, Otherness, Therapeutic Relationship, Automaton

Marcella Bellani, Amedeo Serino, David Ricciardolo, Cinzia Perlini, Intersoggettività ed Alterità nell’incontro clinico in "RIVISTA SPERIMENTALE DI FRENIATRIA" 2/2026, pp 85-97, DOI: 10.3280/RSF2026-002006