‘Repetition Compulsion’ is one of the most powerful dynamics in human life.
We are all destined to repeat our original relationships, (ie. parents) in the relationships of our adult lives. This is most apparent in close/intimate relationships. One can be determined not to repeat, ie. have it be different, but nevertheless the repetition is destined.
To interfere with this takes remembering, reliving and re-solving. This cannot be done in solitude. It must be done in a neutral/therapeutic relationship. The shared goal is to shift the paradigm. The dynamic will never disappear but it can be changed to reflect the repeating of the positive rather than the negative.
It is best said as a saying that I recently saw carved into the wall at the entrance of a newly developed Holocaust Museum: “Remember the Past, Transform the Future.”
