ABSTRACT
The analyst suffered a serious injury that forced suspension of her practice for two and a half months. When she returned to clinical practice, she was somewhat physically fragile as the process toward full recovery proceeded. While her patients were necessarily made aware of her situation, the analyst initially provided only the most general information about her condition. However, the impact of her injury made its presence in the consulting room felt in a number of unanticipated, unexpected, sometimes embarrassing and occasionally distressing ways. Her patients were consistently compassionate, accommodating, and understanding. Before returning to work, the analyst resumed her own therapy in order to work through her emotional trauma. She was also concerned that her patients might feel responsible for her care. The analyst worked to contain her own trauma in an effort to minimize its impact on her patients. In consultation with her therapist, the analyst began to carefully address her concerns with her patients. By explicitly addressing the realities of her situation with these patients, the reciprocity between her and them was deepened in moving, illuminating and at times surprising ways. In their mutual acknowledgement of injury and its multiple levels of conscious and unconscious impact on both patient and analyst, the analyst found an important and powerful healing resource that contributed to her full recovery.
