The therapist’s and the patient’s worlds

are there any conflicts?

Abstract

In this clinical case, the author aims to describe transference and countertransference in situations in which the patient’s way of acting comes into conflict with the therapist’s way of approaching certain situations. The importance of thoroughly examining countertransference is discussed so as to allow the therapist to eradicate any prejudice towards the patient’s attitudes and experiences. The differences between the patient’s and the therapist’s worlds is understood on the basis of the effect of transference upon the mind of the latter. It is not within the scope of the study to discuss the clinical case as a whole, but rather to provide examples of and discuss the interaction between the therapist and patient, based on the differences between them. The study also considers that therapist’s prejudice, if not investigated and eliminated, can lead to fraudulent artifices and hindrances in the psychoanalytical process.