In the Healer’s Seat: Navigating Power, Projection, and Responsibility

What happens when the person we turn to for healing is themselves carrying unaddressed wounds? This article explores the paradox at the heart of the practitioner-client relationship: the very qualities that make practitioners compassionate and insightful—their own histories of suffering—can also become sources of unconscious projection and harm if left unexamined. Drawing on Jung’s concept of the “wounded healer” and contemporary clinical insights, we investigate how projections, transference, and countertransference shape the healing relationship. Ultimately, the article challenges practitioners to embrace rigorous self-reflection and ongoing supervision, ensuring their presence is a genuine conduit for healing rather than a screen for unresolved pain. Read on.