Bass is generally supportive of the idea of mutual analysis, which involves a more active role for the analyst in the therapeutic process. In mutual analysis, the analyst and patient are seen as partners in a joint effort to understand and work through the patient's psychological difficulties. This approach emphasizes the importance of the patient's subjective experience and their relationship with the analyst, and it often involves a more open and collaborative approach to treatment than traditional psychoanalysis.
However, Bass is also aware of the potential risks and challenges of mutual analysis, particularly with regard to issues of boundary violations and power dynamics. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining clear boundaries and ethical standards in the therapeutic relationship, and he advocates for a careful and thoughtful approach to mutual analysis that takes into account the needs and vulnerabilities of both the analyst and patient.
Overall, Bass's work on mutuality emphasizes the importance of recognizing the interdependence of the analyst and patient in the therapeutic process, and of developing a collaborative and mutually respectful relationship that can support the patient's growth and healing.
