The case of the self-destructive angel of mercy

The article describes some of the exchanges that took place during the analytical treatment with a borderline patient, with markedly self frustrating patterns. The main purpose of this paper is to spark a debate on a topic that has been little theorized in recent years, on which therapists still need to compare their clinical experiences. In particular, the aim is to highlight the extent to which people with borderline functioning need the therapist to understand and at the same time address both the co-constructed meanings within the therapeutic relationship and the idiosyncratic view of the patient's external world. The author proposes her reflections with the spirit of starting a dialogue on a particularly difficult clinical problem that cannot be fully developed through the normal use of randomised controlled trials on particular techniques or even through clinical exchanges concerning the more general problems of the therapeutic process.