Left Standing on the Lawn
Abstract
This essay reflects on the theoretical and personal issues that may underlie the ongoing failure of the psychoanalytic literature to adequately address the patient’s experience when the analyst is impaired or dies. While it’s human to avoid thinking about one’s mortality, whatever one’s age, the question remains: Are older analysts vulnerable in particular ways to misjudgment regarding the clinician’s power built into the arrangement? The essay considers ethical implications of that question.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
Psychoanalysis and Social Critique
Psychology and Mental Health
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Psychoanalytic Inquiry
- Pages
- 1–8
- Publication date
- 3 February 2026
- Language
- EN