ABSTRACT
Understanding the role of separation-individuation enables us to predict the components of the clinical picture: T he overt mani festations will consist of the patient’s particular style of defenses against his feelings of abandonment which are handled by splitting, avoidance, denial, etc. These defenses not only determine the form of the present illness, but also reflect the style of the patient’s character. They occur in many different combinations and are as varied as the number of patients one sees, bu t there is usually a predominance of one or two defenses which assists in further categorizing the clinical picture.
