ABSTRACT
Chapter 7 describes a clinical case of a psychoanalytic psychotherapy with Elizabeth, a highly competent woman whose ambitious pursuits were inhibited and derailed by a traumatic work event that evoked significant internal conflict. The case illustrates challenges that frequently impact female ambition: competition and envy, authorship versus disavowal of agency and ambition, the impact of multiple competing identifications, the impact of non-recognition, and the mercurial issue of defining achievement, success and a meaningful life. The case also explores the interrelationship of these themes and highlights the experience of a minority woman of color, in a male dominated academic and scientific field.
