The Patient’s Impact on the Analyst

296 Pages·1996·11.54 MB·English

by  Judy L. Kantrowitz

The Patient's Impact
On the Analyst
ForPaul
The Patient's Impact
On the Analyst
Judy
Leopold Kantrowitz
With a Foreword by
o.
Anton Kris
THE ANALYTIC PRESS
1996 Hillsdale, N) London
Copyright 1996 by TheAnalyticPress,Inc.
All rightsreserved. No partofthisbook maybereproduced inany
form:by photostat, microform,retrieval system,oranyothermeans,
withoutthepriorwritten permissionofthepublisher.
Published byTheAnalyticPress, Inc.
Editorial Offices:101WestStreet,Hillsdale,NJ 07642
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-Publication Data
Kantrowitz,JudyLeopold, 1938-
The patient's impact on theanalystIJudyLeopold Kantrowitzwith a
Foreword byAnton 0. Kris.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical referencesand index.
ISBN0-88163-211-2
1.Psychotherapistandpatient. 2.Psychoanalysts-Psychology.
3.Self-analysis(Psychoanalysis).4.Countertransference(Psychology)
5.Change(Psychology) I.Title.
[DNLM; 1.Professional-PatientRelations. 2.Psychotherapy.
3.SelfAssessment(Psychology) 4.Transference(Psychology) WM
62 K161 1996]
RC480.8.K36 1996
616.89'14023-dc20
DNLMlDLC
for Library ofCongress 96-38505
ClP
Printed inthe United StatesofAmerica
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The Patient's Impact
On the Analyst
Acknowledgments
My gratitude and thanks are owed to so many people who in various
ways have made this book possible that Iwish toapologizein advance
forany Imay neglect tothankspecifically.
Iwanttobegin byexpressingmyappreciationtotheanalystswhopar
ticipated inthisstudy.Withouttheirgenerosityinsharingtheir thoughts
andexperiences,thebooknever wouldhavebeenwritten.Iamespecially
gratefultothe26analystswho volunteered tobeinterviewed.Their can
dorand willingness toshare their personalandsometimesvery painful
experiencesdeepenedmyown appreciationoftheemotionalimpactthat
cancome from ourwork. Their exampleshelpedmetoexpandthe ideas
that IhadwhenIbeganthisproject.ThebookthatIhavewrittenhasbeen
significantlyshapedby theircontributions.
IamgratefultotheBostonPsychoanalyticSocietyandInstituteforgiv
ingmeasmall researchgranttocoverthesecretarial,statistical,andother
miscellaneouscostsofthisproject.MyspecialthanksgotoDiane Nugent
fortheadministrationofthisfund.Iwish tothankKarenSmolensforher
secretarialhelp and Frederick Roccoforperformingthe statistical analy
ses and patiently guiding me through their interpretations.LeeBrauer,
MurrayCohen,TheodoreCross, and Howard Schumanwere each gen
erous in taking time to discuss various methodological issues in this
work.AnneMenashifound countlessreferences formeandoccasionally
unearthedsome relevantarticleswithwhich Iwasunfamiliar.
WarrenPolandwas the firsttosuggestandencourageme to turn this
project into abook. AndrewMorrisonintroduced me toPaul Stepansky
and told me of his very positive experienceworking withThe Analytic
Press.RobertGardnerprovidedasimilarendorsement.Myappreciation
tothemisgreat, forworkingwith PaulStepanskyhasbeen astimulating
andgratifyingexperience.
Fromtheoutset,PaulStepanskyhasbeensupportiveandencouraging.
Hewas willingtoreaddraftsofthisbookeveninitsmost primitiveform
and offered clear, constructive suggestions that assisted me in finding
directionin continuingmy work. He has a fine ear for languageandan
appreciationofthe clinicalsituationthatmadeclearheknew whatIwas
tryingtosay andwhenIwasor was notsayingitwell.lowethe titleof
the bookto his suggestion. He introduced me toauthors Ihad not read
and broadenedmy appreciationofcurrentpsychoanalyticthinking.His
availabilityand responsivitywere consistentthroughout. As a first-time
author of a book, Ihave no basis for comparison,but Icannot imagine
that any authorcouldhave abetterexperience. Hisstaff has also been a
pleasure to workwith. Iespecially wish toexpress appreciation toJohn
o V 0
o vi Acknowledgments
0
Kerr for reading and offering suggestions on specific chapters and to
Eleanor Starke (Lenni) Kobrin, who supervised the production of this
book.
Manyofmy friendsandcolleagueshavegenerouslygiventime and,in
some instances, editorial assistance to this work. Natalie Bluestone,
Frances Givelber, William Grossman, Dan Jacobs, Anton Kris, Austin
Silber, Anna Wolff, and Judith Yanof have all read and offered helpful
suggestions for various parts and drafts of this book. I am especially
grateful to Anton Kris for readingthe entirebookin its nearlyfinal form
andforcontributingitsvaluableforeword.
My gratitude is, of course, not limited to those who formally con
tributed to the actual construction of the book. lowe an inexpressibly
great debt to my patients. If I had not been aware of how much I had
learnedfrom them,Imightneverhaveembarkedon this study.Iam also
grateful to my teachers, supervisors, analyst, and therapists for all they
have taught me and for enabling me to go on and continue to learn for
myself. My friends, someofwhom read thisworkin progressandsome
ofwhomdidnot, havealso contributedtowhatIhavecometoknowand
continue to learn. Like the analysts interviewed in thisbook, Ifind ana
lyticworkand itsvicissitudesacontinualsourceofstimulationandcon
sidermyselffortunate to havefriends withwhom mutualsharing isnot
onlypossiblebutwelcomed.
My family have been a continuing source of inspiration, support, and
encouragement. My parents always believed in me and supported my
wishtogrowand learnevenwhenthedirectionswereinwaysthey them
selveshadnotknown.My father's capacityforempathyremainsa model
formy besttherapeuticself.Hisself-disciplineanddeterminationtoover
come adversity have providedan importantsourceof strength forme to
emulate.IwishI had knownof the shamehe feltaboutsomeofhisearly
history. This bookmay be in partan attempt to do for otherswhatIwas
unabletodoforhim.Mymother'sever-euriousandimaginativemind,her
opennessto new ideas,herwillingness to try newcreativemeansofself
expression well into her mid 80s, as well as her capacity to grow and
changeinrelationships,havealsoprovidedinspirationforwhatispossible.
My gratitudeto mychildrenisenormous. Ihavelearnedfromeachof
them in a different way. Each has made me feelsupported in mywork
andspecificallyencouragedinwritingthisbook.
But, most of all, I wish to express my indebtedness to my husband,
Paul. Without his supportandencouragement, Icouldnothave under
taken this project. He has helped meconcretelyby listening to and dis
cussingmy ideasandby readingandcritiquingmy writing.Iwillalways
be grateful for his patience and understandingabout the timeandemo
tional energy this projecttook. loweapologies to myfriendsandfamily
for the times Ihave notbeen as available as Iwould have wished to be
duringthecourseofworkingon thisbook,buttononeasmuchastohim.
His devotion and emotional support provided the sustenance for me to
do thiswork.
Contents
Foreword-AntonO. Kris ix
Introduction xi
PartI
PROLOGUE
1. The Project 3
PartII
WAYSOFKNOWING
2. FormsofSelf-Exploration:DifferentAnalysts,
DifferentModesofExploration 23
3. Triggersfor Self-Knowledge: How Analysts
Recognizean AspectofThemselvesRequiring
FurtherSelf-Reflection 51
4. Pathwaysto Self-Knowledge:PrivateReflections,
SharedCommunications,and Workwith Patients 77
o vii
0
oviii 0 Contents
PartIII
CHANGESIN THE ANALYST
5. SimilarityofAffect,Conflict, Defense,or Situation 107
6. Admiration for Qualitiesor CharacteristicsofPatients 131
7. Patients' Interpretationsof the Analyst 149
8. CountertransferenceResponsesas Stimuli
for Self-Reflection 165
9. TheTherapeuticProcessfor the Analyst 185
10. TherapeuticActionof Psychoanalysis:
Explorationof Its ImpactontheAnalyst 207
11. TheDarkerSide:ThePotential NegativeImpactof
PatientsonTheirAnalysts 221
PART IV
EPILOGUE
12. ConcludingThoughts 233
References 245
AppendixA 255
Appendix B 261
AppendixC 277
Index 278