Curiously, The Analyst stemmed from a conversation I had with my mother very similar to what transpired with my father. I once idly asked her whether she had ever had any trouble with any patients. She replied no but said it was something every analyst worried about, because of the intensity of the therapeutic situation. Then I asked her how did she know the person on the couch was who they said they were? She laughed and replied Well, I guess we don’t really… and that was all it took for me to get started.