ABSTRACT
Love came to be defined by the very kind of relationship analysts who provide a relationship that requires of themselves honesty and risk-taking, a deep immersion in the effective lives of the other, and a devotion to scrutinize non-defensively their own selves in an attempt to understand, feel, and grasp the internal and interpersonal world of another. In psychoanalysis, analyst and analysand inevitably and necessarily become intimately involved with each other, intellectually and emotionally. Sigmund Freud erred when he sought to inoculate psychoanalysis from the potentially dangerous effects of analytic love and the recruitment of the analysand into pathological accommodation to satisfy the analyst's need for power and control. Without having avoided taking on sex and aggression, our predominant feelings would include respect, understanding, acceptance, empathy, admiration, caring, the sincere wish for the other's happiness and fulfilment, and love. The understanding and acceptance of analytic love as a therapeutic agent is also influenced by the values of the analytic community.
