The so-called boring patient

This paper explores the affect of boredom with specific reference to its arousal in psychotherapists within psychotherapeutic sessions. Using Fenichel's classical psychoanalytic formulation regarding ego-defensive operations as a starting point, it explores the contribution of the more recently understood concept of narcissism, in particular the fluctuating states of narcissistic satiety and depletion within the therapist and their impact on countertransference.