The benzylation of methyl 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl ketone (I), with benzyl chloride and NaOH gives methyl 2-(4-benzyloxyphenyl)ethyl ketone (II), which is reductocondensed with NH3 by means of H2 over Raney-Ni in ethanol yielding 1-methyl-3-(4-benzyloxyphenyl)propylamine (III). The optical resolution of (III) with R-mandeli acid affords the R-isomer (IV), which is acetylated with R-2-(4-benzyloxyphenyl)-2-hydroxyacetic acid (V) by means of 1-hydroxybenzotriazole and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide in DMF to R,R-N-[2-(4-benzyloxyphenyl)-2-hydroxy-1-oxoethyl]-1-methyl-3-(4-benzyloxyphenyl)propylamine (VI). The reduction of (VI) with borane - dimethyl sulfide complex in THF gives R,R-N-[2-(4-benzyloxyphenyl)-2-hydroxyethyl]-1-methyl-3-(4-benzyloxyphenyl)propylamine (VII), which is finally debenzylated by hydrogenolysis with H2 over Raney-Ni in ethanol.