You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
In his riveting discussion of erotic and antierotic transference, Dr. Mark J. Blechner, Fellow, Training and Supervising Analyst at The William Alanson White Institute, challenged clinicians to broaden their understanding of erotic transference. Blechner suggested that the widely accepted view of erotic transference, namely that the patient “falls in love” with the analyst and/or expresses the desire to have sex with or marry her is a restricted definition. Instead, he defined erotic transference as “any expression of erotic feelings toward the psychoanalyst.” Conversely, Blechner defined the antierotic transference as “a lack of attraction or even a physical repulsion toward the analyst.” He argued that antierotic transference is as significant as erotic transference because it represents the same level of eroticism; only it is expressed in the negative.
Blechner provided rich clinical material from his practice to illustrate an antierotic transference. His first example was a male patient who criticized his backside for being too small. The analyst responded to the criticism first by acknowledging that he had a smaller backside and then by stating “Even if you do not fit a popular stereotype of attractiveness, it matters more that you can find someone who finds you attractive and not let your own inferiority feelings get in the way of being loved by that person.” What followed was the patient's opening up about his own sense of bodily inferiority, specifically a fear that his penis was too small. Another case was Bonnie, who came to her first session threateningly waving a large tree branch at Blechner. Bonnie's need to defend herself was related to her history of incest and sexual trauma. Thus, her “eroticism and erotic transference were mixed up with a fear of violence and pain.” Though Bonnie had previously been seen by various interns, Blechner, then an intern himself, felt that long-term treatment was crucial for creating an environment of safety and building