The Analyst's Fears

The analyst's fears, usually addressed only in terms of their eccentric or neurotic roots, are recognized as inescapable and multiply determined. The analytic process itself implies such fears, both because of the state of uncertainty in which valid exploration unfolds and because of the inevitable loss confronting the analyst's emotional attachment that results from the patient's growing autonomy. Factors related to the analyst's character and current developmental stage further color unavoidable fears. Clinical vignettes are used illustratively. The occupation hazards of a life immersed in other people's analyses are considered, as is the analyst's defensive misuse of theory to ward off experience of some of these emotional dangers.