And in This Corner

A young therapist met his match in a smooth intelligent, narcissistic patient, also a therapist, who drew uncanny aim at the therapist's personal and professional boundaries.

Abstract

A young therapist met his match in a smooth intelligent, narcissistic patient, also a therapist. From the outset therapy served as an arena for a struggle for control. The patient successfully manipulated the therapeutic boundaries of time and money; he used the therapy as a way of getting out of an unexciting marriage without guilt; he tried to get the therapist to agree to and join in responsibility for various illegal and unethical schemes. The therapy ended with the patient-therapist guilty of malpractice and his therapist just barely unscathed professionally if much wiser personally. Although he carried no gun, this patient drew uncanny aim at the therapist's personal and professional boundaries.