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The next two images show a
transformation from Psychic Warrior to Psychic Worrier; our
psychotherapist has remembered his dream and it’s as if he is
confronted with himself looking in the mirror, looking at himself
in a way that he hasn’t before. These two cartoons symbolise the
emotional impact of being reminded. Looking in the mirror
symbolises the narcissistic confrontation with our selves and the
challenge of this confrontation with our selves. Psychotherapeutic
work and psychiatric work often lay down an emotional gauntlet of a
personal and professional challenge to the practitioner. The
professional challenge may be in being reminded of our limitations,
the limitations of our understanding and the personal challenge may
be in this emotional process of being reminded of disturbing
aspects of our selves. I would contend that these personal and
professional challenges lie at the heart of good psychiatric and
psychotherapeutic work and it’s when the therapist becomes aware of
these challenges that the process of working through in the
therapist on behalf of the patient can begin.
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Page last updated on 8th February
2009 by E Baker-Glenn