Between the word and the body: empty or bridge? Two interdependent elements in psychological practice

Abstract

The internship process of the psychologist in training places him/her in front of a challenging field of action. The trainee could say that this formative stage is enriching as he/she finds the opportunity to articulate theory and practice to face the demands of the social and individual reality that he/she investigates, analyzes, interprets, and intervenes; it is even an experience that leads him/her to think of him/herself at a personal and professional level. In this reflection article, the author proposes to talk about three elements that have been indispensable in his psychological practice, individual attention, and group processes, for example: the manifest reason for consultation vs. the latent reason for consultation; the body and its narratives; and the analogy of the psychologist's role as midwife of the truth that helps to give meaning to the consultant's discomfort.  It is concluded that the practicing psychologist must constantly make a critical and reflective exercise on the reality of the other, but it is also his task to lead him to ask himself about his motivations in his search for wellness.