My first impression on reading the clinical notes was that the psychotherapist is a woman. Whilst this is an assumption, it seems to be borne out in the final moments of the session when by implication the therapist links ‘herself to the woman with whom her patient is preoccupied. I will refer to the therapist therefore as a woman.

I have to confess an uneasiness about the task in hand. I find myself contemplating a minimal spread of clinical material, reflecting on its meaning, transmitting my views about this and finally putting forward ideas that have occurred to me which aim at throwing light on a psychotherapeutic process that has been in motion for over two