The Hope That Will Never Be Realized

The migration of Jewish musicians from Arab countries to Israel in the 1950's generated many personal difficulties. The musicians were unable to achieve professional success in their homelands due to their religion, but the Israeli audience's understanding and appreciation of their talents was extremely limited during these formative years. We present a case report of an immigrant married couple, both musicians, who suffer narcissistic injuries stemming from their immigration and their way of coping. Failure in understanding the problems associated with issues of self-esteem, led to a chronic clinical stalemate. When this problem was addressed, forward movement became possible. The specific technical interventions and transference/countertransference dynamics are herein described.