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Bartemeier calls attention to the situation at the beginning of a psychotherapeutic (not psychoanalytic) treatment. The handling of certain problems connected with the first few interviews may be decisive for success or failure. From the time of the first contact, the patient's attitudes and feelings about the psychiatrist may be of equal or even greater significance than the patient's account of his illness. These attitudes and feelings, which are beyond the awareness of the patient, comprise what might be called the preformed transference. By carefully observing its various indications, the psychiatrist is able to sense the emotional needs of the patient. The restriction of attention to the mere story of the illness may be a sign of the psychiatrist's 'counterresistance'. Inclination to premature interpretations, too, may represent a defense against anxiety on the part of the psychiatrist. A detailed case presentation illustrates the importance of recognizing the transference from the very beginning. In the case described, it was a well-concealed fear which could only be detected by a few trivial remarks, one or two aspects of the patient's behavior, and the indirect representation of his material.