The Analyst’s Shame

Shame and the fear of shame can play highly significant roles for each participant in treatment. For example, the analyst may feel afraid that doing treatment will expose their insufficiencies as a clinician, and, even more broadly, as a human being. This paper discusses a number of varieties of the experience of shame, including those tinged with anger, guilt, and anxiety. It also examines the shame about feeling shame, which can be particularly troubling in training. Aspects of the candidate's position that may elicit shame are explored, with some suggestions about ways they could be ameliorated.