When the one you wanted to see defend your school leaves: reflections on symbiosis, transference and maturity in the learning process

This article explores the educational process through the lens of Transactional Analysis, viewing it as a stage for script enactments, symbiotic dynamics, and transferential phenomena. Drawing on her extensive teaching experience, the author examines a specific group of students marked by unconscious narcissistic vulnerability and passive-aggressive defenses. Using a composite case narrative, she illustrates the recurrent pattern of idealization and subsequent disillusionment, revealing the educational space as a site of initiation rather than instruction. The role of the teacher is framed not as a knowledge provider, but as a witness to the student’s individuation and transition to Adult ego state. Special attention is given to pedagogical vulnerability, boundary maintenance, and the transformative power of authentic contact in the training of psychotherapists. The text integrates personal narrative, clinical observation, and theoretical foundations, offering a perspective on education as a field for script awareness and transformation.