ABSTRACT
In Studies in Hysteria (1895d) Freud wrote that transference was the worst obstacle to treatment, when the patient became emotionally involved with the doctor. However, his discovery of the Oedipus complex a few years later gave transference a new interest. In Notes on a Case of Obsessional Neurosis (1909d), Freud described the case of his patient: Lanzer's life had been brought to a halt by his own obsessional thoughts and behaviours. He felt compelled to carry out endless, complex rituals to prevent something bad happening to his father or woman friend. With great difficulty, Lanzer described his fears to Freud. He was afraid that if he did not carry out his obsessive practices, then a horrible torture would befall his father and the young woman he loved. During his transference, Lanzer imagined the Freud family was rich, and that the young woman his father wanted him to marry was Freud's daughter.
