Mahler and Stern in Dialogue on the Origins of Aloneness and Loneliness: Convergences and Divergences

Author(s): Evangelia Galanaki.

This study attempts to provide insight into the origins of aloneness and loneliness by comparatively and jointly examining the views of psychoanalysts and researchers Margaret Mahler and Daniel Stern. Their influential theories combine the developmental and the clinical perspective and have the potential to offer a deeper understanding of these universal and fundamental experiences. First, Mahler’s and Stern’s views on aloneness and loneliness are organized and presented in detail. Reformulations and critiques are also reported. Next, the two models are examined in relation to each other regarding the issues of aloneness and loneliness. Points of convergence and divergence are identified and discussed. These points revolve around the following issues: the onset of aloneness and loneliness experiences; the nature and developmental trajectories of aloneness and loneliness; the interpersonal context within which this development takes place; the ability to cope with loneliness and the factors that facilitate or hinder the development of this ability; and the related psychopathological pathways with their clinical implications.