“Come close, yet stay away”: A deep‐hermeneutic single‐case study of a therapeutic enactment

Abstract

Abstract This deep‐hermeneutic single‐case study explores a therapeutic enactment marked by an ambivalent tension between intimacy and distance, encapsulated in the formula “come close – yet stay away.” Drawing on Lorenzer's method of deep‐hermeneutic text interpretation, the analysis reconstructs a therapeutic encounter in which an experienced psychodynamic therapist, in her pursuit of authenticity and emotional resonance, co‐creates a social boundary crossing that blurs the distinction between professional role and personal involvement. The reconstruction traces how the longing for genuine connection paradoxically culminates in a loss of symbolic containment, enacting a latent conflict between the wish for closeness and the fear of fusion. Boundary crossings are conceptualized not only as individual misconduct but also as intersubjective and culturally conditioned phenomena that expose the fragility of the therapeutic position within late‐modern ideals of authenticity and emotional presence. The study highlights the importance of reflective engagement with enactments, boundaries and power relations as integral aspects of professional competence and psychotherapeutic understanding.