ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with a clinical vignette portraying the negative consequence of the therapist’s unawareness of a blind spot. It highlights the need for the therapist’s self-scrutiny to avoid such errors. Common transference–countertransference configurations found in treating older adult are then examined. These include configurations repetitive of family dynamics in early trauma and those stemming from the relative positions in the life cycle of therapist and patient. The importance of extra-analytic transference is noted. Painful countertransference reactions are discussed. The focus then moves to the necessity of psychodynamic psychotherapists’ self-study with respect to their emotional responses to the aged and the vicissitudes of older age. The importance of ongoing exploration of the therapist’s personal equation is observed.
