Fifth Annual John Bowlby Memorial Lectures STORIED COMMUNITY AS SECURE BASE: RESPONSE TO THE PAPER BY NANCY CARO HOLLANDER `EXILE: PARADOXES OF LOSS AND CREATIVITY' Renos K Papadopoulos Nancy Hollander's (1998) paper is both important and topical despite the fact that it refers to historical events which are not very recent. Its importance lies in the fact that it addresses the crucial facet of analytical theory and practice which relates to wider societal dimensions as well as to social action. This is a thorny facet which never loses its topicality because, as analysts, we constantly face the challenge as to how to reconcile our position in response to violations of freedom, human dignity and justice in socio-political contexts, outside our consulting rooms. Although her paper refers to the political turmoil and oppression in one specific region, that of Central and South America, the same challenge is posed wherever there are violations of human rights. Moreover, similar concerns exist in all societies at all times, in connection with relatively minor incidents and circumstances where, nevertheless, ethical and moral issues are at stake. In these situations, the principles remain the same, regardless of the scale and specificity of the occasion. The dilemma we face in relation to this kind of challenge questions some fundamental assumptions about the nature of the analytical enterprise. Psychodynamic theories, as they are applied to traditional analytical settings, tend to be based on a paradigm which is predominantly formulated within a pathology/deficit model, and which emphasizes the intrapsychic dimension at the expense of the social realities. How, then, can theories and practices which emanate from such a paradigm be in a position to offer us anything of relevance in turbulent socio-political contexts? In response to this challenge, Hollander turns to attachment theory with her own selective emphasis and modifications, which she presents in a personal, moving and poetic style. Her choice of attachment theory fits well with the material she discusses, and her selection of personal narratives of survivors and victims of oppression to illustrate her position is equally appropriate and successful. My own response to her paper is in line, by and large, with her overall approach and is intended to explore certain implications of her stance. More specifically, I shall develop some ideas about the meaning of shared narratives and how these can extend our understanding of Bowlby's theories about the secure base. RENOS K. PAPADOPOULOS PhD is Professor of Analytical Psychology at the University of Essex, Consultant Clinical Psychologist at the Tavistock Clinic, and a training and supervising Jungian analyst practising in London. As consultant to the UN and other organizations, he has worked with survivors of violence and disaster in various countries. Address for correspondence: Tavistock Clinic, 120 Belsize Lane, London NW3 5BA. British Journal of Psychotherapy, 15(3), 1999 © The author