Borderline rage and the therapist's reponse

Abstract

Borderline patients often engender feelings ranging from apathy to rage in therapists. The author views the borderline patient's rage as defensive against fear of total negation resulting from projective identification with hostile part objects. The therapist's withdrawal or anger parallels the patient's projection of affect. Countertransference offers the potential for understanding a patient's terror, but therapists may become fixed in identifications that distort their understanding. Clarity often comes slowly as the therapist directs attention to his/her own affective state in order to understand the patient's vulnerability.