WHEN THE ANALYST IS ILL - DIMENSIONS OF SELF-DISCLOSURE

This article examines questions related to the ''inescapable,'' the '' inadvertent,'' and the ''deliberate'' personal disclosures by an analy st. Technical and personal considerations that influence the analyst's decision to disclose, as well as the inherent responsibilities and po tential clinical consequences involved in self-disclosure, are explore d, with particular attention to transference-countertransference dynam ics, therapeutic goals, and the negotiation of resistance. The author describes her clinical work during a period of prolonged illness, with Case vignettes that illustrate how self-disclosure may be regarded as both an occasional authentic requirement and a regular intrinsic comp onent of clinical technique.