ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the psychological phenomena of countertransference in the medical encounter, and addresses narcissistic traps in the doctor-patient relationship that might affect patient feelings and responses. The rigorous medical training and practice encompass acquiring vast clinical and theoretical knowledge together with communicative skills, entrusting doctors with the remarkable responsibility of treating patients. Narcissism is a complex concept which carries a variety of meanings, extending from a healthy and important developmental achievement to a potentially destructive personality disorder. Patients and therapists spend many years becoming more aware of how their past has influenced their present in order to free themselves, as much as possible, from reactions and allow for more conscious and informed responses. The doctor-patient relationship is an asymmetrical relationship, whereby the patient is in a passive and dependent position, compared to the doctor who carries his expertise.
