ABSTRACT
Nichole came into treatment with the author after losing her analyst of ten years due to a tragic accident. As her analyst was his supervisor, the treatment was founded on their shared self-experiences of loss. Incapable of mourning, Nichole initially attempted to fashion the author into a replica of her previous good mother analyst. Moved by Nichole’s desperate need and wanting to make good on the author’s own sense of loss, the author misguidedly attempted to comply with her demands. Failing, as he did, allowed him to be more present, potentiating a more solid therapeutic relationship. Accordingly, Nichole gained access to her anger and sense of agency, allowing her to mourn her previous analyst, own her capacities, and eventually become a therapist herself.
