Defining psychotherapy as a stimulus arising from an interpersonal relationship which catalyzes growth, one can postulate that a quantum of therapy could derive from any human relationship if the participants dared to utilize the stimulus. When and how can the professional therapist avail himself of the stimulus-to-growth present in his relationship to his patient?

Most therapists agree that the degree of the patient's involvement in the interpersonal relationship is one measure of the effectiveness of the experience. We believe that the depth of the patient's involvement is related to the depth of involvement of the therapist as a person. Can we then postulate that the therapist's problem is: “How can I make this patient more significant to me?” Dare we say, “How can I increase my counter-transference?”