The author describes the case of a man with strong feminine identifications who unconsciously felt his body as the phallus attached to and serving his domineering mother. A similar case involving a girl was first described by Fenichel.

As a phallus, the patient was the most important part of his mother and could thus share her omnipotence and femaleness. More importantly, it served to gratify early symbiotic and attachment needs. This was accomplished at the sacrifice of his independence and masculinity, leaving him feeling weak and inadequate. Shame and anxiety led to defense and conflict.

The danger in therapy lies in the patient's use of his intelligence to gratify the analyst's therapeutic interests and narcissism, thus becoming the analyst's phallus. In this mutual narcissistic gratification, analysis may become interminable. Only through the analyst's self-analysis and proper interpretation can the danger be avoided.