Technical approaches to transference hate in the analysis of borderline patients

Abstract

Transference hate presents a major obstacle to effective analytic work with borderline patients. In a subgroup of these patients, the analyst is hated relentlessly in a manner that seems unresponsive to interpretation. The persistent projective identification of hated aspects of the patient's internal world may erode the analyst's ability to maintain his analytic posture and lead to various forms of countertransference acting out. A prolonged period of containment is required for both patient and analyst before they are likely to converge in an 'analytic space' where interpretation will be effective.