ABSTRACT
The dyadic relationship between patient and therapist is often likened to a parent-child relationship; at other times the emphasis is considered in terms of creative discourse. Erotic desires and fantasies are so fundamental in human experience as to be almost continuously present. This view firmly supports the need for elaboration and clarification of the therapist’s erotic subjectivity in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. Some psychoanalytic procedures can be thought of in terms of the incest taboo between therapist and patient. A perusal of the literature highlights some of the difficulties analysts face in trying to deal with their erotic subjectivity. The erotic implies transgression into the sacred and the profane, into the secret, into the closest possible intimate contact. The ability to experience erotic desires that are objective is an indication of healthy ego functioning and development, and mature awareness of differentiation between the self and others.
