Event Detail



Institute Symposium

Wednesday March 25th 1pm to 2pm 2026
Mitchell Wilson : The Ethics of Countertransference Experience
 

Abstract

Mitchell Wilson’s 2013 Psychoanalytic Quarterly article, “Desire and Responsibility: The Ethics of Countertransference Experience,” argues that the analyst's personal desire and intentions are central, often undertheorized, components of countertransference. It critiques the "wider" view of countertransference for obscuring the analyst's role, instead emphasizing ethical responsibility, Lacanian theory  and Heinrich Racker’s “talion law”. 

Key aspects of this work include:

  • The Role of Desire: Wilson posits that the analyst’s desire, if unacknowledged, can lead to a collapse of the analytic space through mutual projection and enactment, referencing Racker’s concept of the "talion law" (i.e., "an eye for an eye").
  • Ethical Responsibility: The paper highlights the substantial ethical burden on the analyst to recognize their own subjective contribution to the countertransference.
  • Theoretical Framework: The discussion draws on Lacan’s 1992 theory of the dual relation and Jessica Benjamin’s concept of the "moral third" to navigate the complexities of these experiences.

The article focuses on how the analyst's desire influences the patient's experience, often putting the patient in a position where they must either comply with or rebel against the analyst's unrecognized needs

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

  1. Describe Mitchell Wilson’s conceptualization of the analyst’s desire as a central component of countertransference experience.
  2. Explain how unrecognized analyst desire can contribute to enactments and the collapse of analytic space, including the relevance of Heinrich Racker’s concept of the talion law.
  3. Discuss the ethical responsibilities of the analyst in recognizing and managing subjective contributions to countertransference.

Participants are asked to be aware of the need for privacy and confidentiality throughout the program. The Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute maintains responsibility for this program and its content. CPI is licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to sponsor continuing education credits for (license numbers in parentheses): Social Workers (159.000122), Professional Counselors (197.000202), Marriage and Family Therapy Therapists (168.00204), and Clinical Psychologists (268.000091). 

Eligible professionals will receive 1.0 continuing education credits for attending the entire program. To receive these credits an evaluation form must be completed online. Learners must claim the amount of time spent in the educational activity and that will be the amount of credit they will earn. 

Continuing Education credits (CMEs) are not available for physicians for this program.