Mutations or transformations in clinic? From face-to-face to virtual, from the exclusivity of the word to the use of photos in the practice of psychoanalysis link

Abstract

The aim of this article is to discuss the transformations in the practice of couple and family psychoanalysis that have taken place
in recent times and that have been studied by a research group formed by therapists that work in Brazil and Uruguay. We will
focus specifically on the use of virtuality and photos mediating objects.
The research has a qualitative approach and can be described as exploratory, as it seeks to expand initial knowledge on a topic
that has been little addressed and that could serve as a reference for future research. We start from an understanding of the photo
as a mediating object that facilitates speech. We chose to present a clinical vignette of a virtual, photo-mediated family therapy session. The use of photos proved to be a mediating object that adapts very easily to virtuality, unlike other possible resources in face-toface family sessions. The photos allow access to new images, which together with the question or proposition of the session, form a container setting and the creation of new psychic envelopes that allowed the circulation of words and affects.