Adrienne E. Harris on ‘You Must Remember This’ (Psychoanalytic Dialogues, 2009)

Adrienne Harris discusses the subjectivity of the analyst in relation to situations of impasse in psychoanalytic treatment. Resistance to clinical momentum is approached via an examination of the analyst’s omnipotence. Reflecting on the early formation and motivation of the analyst to provide care, the implications of this defensive structure are observed both positively and as a potential block to psychic motility and mourning in both patient and analyst. She stresses the importance of acknowledging and addressing the analyst’s vulnerability both within the countertransference and the wider professional community.