The Boundaries of the Analytic Encounter: Clinical and Ethical Dimensions: A Roundtable Discussion: January 15, 1998 Presenters: Giselle Galdi, Ph.D., Marilyn Schwartz, C.S.W., Robin Goldberg, Ph.D., Michelle Price, C.S.W., and Kenneth Winarick, Ph.D. Meeting Chairperson: Joyce Lerner, C.S.W.

The issue of boundaries that exist between patient and analyst or supervisor and supervisee was the topic of this evening's meeting. Presented as a roundtable discussion of an analytic relationship spanning several years in which the interpersonal arena between analyst and analysand was confused and violated by a blurring of boundaries, the forum permitted several seasoned analysts to voice their perspectives both on the case presented and on their own research into this charged issue.

Joyce Lerner, the evening's chairperson, spoke to the potential suffering that could ensue should boundary violations in any relationship go unaddressed. Lerner pointed to history and the examples of boundary blurring that have fueled this ongoing debate and concern in the analytic community. Lerner's overriding opinion is that when a violation takes place, the treatment is no longer considered a viable analytic configuration.

Giselle Galdi highlighted the posttermination phase of our work and the role of boundaries at this critical juncture. Galdi contrasted early analytic perspective and the perspective that has found favor in the analytic community during the last thirty years concerning transference/countertransference issues. The early work suggested that treatment be concluded when there was a successful resolution of the transference material, which could then justify entering into various arrangements with these patients following the analysis. More recent considerations suggest that transference never truly finds resolution and that it persists long after the termination, thereby negating any such “arrangements” at the conclusion of an analysis. Galdi also pointed to the timelessness of the rule of confidentiality. Our ability to hold to this principle affords the analysand the degree of comfort and safety necessary for a return should it be desired one day.

Marilyn Schwartz emphasized that disclosures the analyst makes during treatment can be experienced by the patient as a vio