ABSTRACT
Bion’s famous statement, that the therapist should enter the room with no memory or desire and the difficulty of doing so, is at the core of this short story. Traditional psychoanalysis has stressed the importance of the therapist’s neutrality, yet neutrality is not always experienced as such in the context of the therapeutic relationship. Sometimes, the therapist’s professional neutrality can come across as cold and withholding or even cruel. In a relational context, it is increasingly recognised that both parties of the therapeutic relationship are emotionally implicated with each other. As long as this is processed and utilised in the service of the patient, it can be a profoundly formative experience for both. A question raised in this short story is about the therapist’s sense of ethics. What is the therapist’s position in relation to a patient’s decision and choice, especially when matters around life and death can be affected by such a decision?
