On Developing a Clinical Sense of Self

It was Donald Winnicott who first described the mutual impact of mother and infant on each one's developing sense of self. It is my experience that something of the same occurs in the patient-clinician relationship. As the patient's sense of self evolves in the therapeutic relationship, the therapist's professional sense of self also develops in the context of this relationship. Herein, I describe a case in which I both assessed and treated a patient and recognized later the deep impact the experience had on my professional sense of self.