Supervising the Erotic Transference and Countertransference

Abstract

In this chapter I will consider the frame of analysis in relation to the frame, form and structure of the supervisory relationship. It is not in question that the erotic transference is central in analysis. However problems sometimes arise because the erotic transference and the associated countertransference may confront the analyst with the limits of the analytic frame.The erotic reveals much about the patient’s way of being in the world but it may be difficult to introduce into supervision. This may be because it engages the analyst-as-person and so may, at times, challenge the analyst’s self concept and sense of professional identity. The supervisor’s countertransference may be a way of accessing such material when it might otherwise be missed. This too is complex as it emphasises issues of gender and sexuality within the supervisory relationship. However, in a time of threats of litigation and awareness of ethical dilemmas, confronting this topic within supervisory practice is essential. I will give vignettes from supervision where the erotic was either very evident or notably absent. Rather than addressing the analytic material in depth, as I have done elsewhere (Schaverien, 1995, 1997, 2002), I will consider the supervisory relationship.