Playing and the analytical experience. The article analyses the notion of playing in the thought of the English psychoanalyst Donald W. Winnicott, in the broad context of his work and main concepts such as the notion of transitionality, the notion of potential space and the notion of time. The relationship between mother and baby is studied and the game that arises in this relation becomes a reference for the thought about clinics and for the clinics itself. The article contributes to the understanding of the epistemological novelty of Winnicott’s thought, comparing it to other current expressions of the scientific thought. The article also demonstrates how Winnicott’s analytical session is lively and joyful, aiming at the integration and spontaneity of the self, conveying a radical vision of what human psychopathology is.
Winnicott; playing; analytical session; epistemology