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Dr. Adler began his presentation by defining countertransference. He cited the histroical perspective that countertransference referred to the unconscious issues of the analyst which were generally seen to be pathological. However, Adler indicated that he thought of countertransference as “all of the responses which we have toward a patient, conscious as well as unconscious, and not just the pathological. Some of the most creative feelings and fantasies we have are those we have in response to a patient and they tell us a lot both about ourselves and our patients.” Adler then began a definition of the borderline patient, discussing the various aspects of that condition: impulsivity, the intensity of that relationship with the therapist, and neediness, profound rage, self-destructive behavior, identity disturbances and a propensity for bringing out the worst in the analyst.
A core issue for borderline patients is the aloneness that results because borderline patients cannot count on internal resources “to soothe, comfort or hold themselves.” What is missing is evocative memory; the ability, when under stress, to remember “the caring holding, soothing relationships of the past.” under stress of separation