Short synopsis:  In this talk I discuss the role of the personal history and development on counsellors’ and psychotherapists’ clinical work.  I include consideration of the real relationship between two unique individuals in therapy and counselling and the way in which relational psychotherapy has changed the way we think about this.  Using personal and other examples, I look at the way in which our personal history will affect how we feel about our clients, what we emphasise in our work and the distinctive transference and countertransference dynamics in each case.  I will discuss issues of self-disclosure and reflect on how our experiences during the pandemic affected what clients ‘saw’ and understood about us.

Biographical statement:  Sue Kegerreis is a professor at the Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies at the University of Essex.  She runs the MA Psychodynamic Counselling training there having previously run the MSc Child and Adolescent at Birkbeck and taught on many other courses.  She has published articles in a wide range of journals and is Managing Editor of Psychodynamic Practice.