You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
This is an outstanding paper, one we have long wished for. It is interesting, stimulating, and beautifully written.
I have had many patients who were famous, rich, or influential, and I agree with Dr. Wahl that attention to his propositions will result in better prognosis for therapy. While reading his paper, several of my own cases immediately came to mind, in which I recognized the transference Dr. Wahl discusses.
From the audience, I had often admired a young dramatic actress in Budapest. One day she asked for an appointment to discuss a very disturbing dream. During the session, which was very helpful to her, neither of us made any mention of a fee. Later I realized that I had neglected to state my fee (at that time we did not send bills) because countertransference had influenced me.
I was a beginning analyst, and poor. A rich man, suffering from a paralyzing phobia, came with his wife, who had insisted on being present at the interview. I noticed that she stared intently at my rugs. When I recommended analysis for the husband, she decided instead that they would see whether a long trip would help. It did not. When the man then came for analysis, he told me that his wife doubted my abilities because I could not afford first-class oriental rugs. (The cause of his neurosis—briefly—was that he got rich in obnoxious ways.)