Bernard Reith is a Psychoanalyst in private practice in Geneva, Switzerland and Chair of the Working Party on Initiating Psychoanalysis of the European Psychoanalytic Federation.Sven Lagerlöf is a Psychoanalyst in private practice in Stockholm, a Training Analyst at the Swedish Psychoanalytical Society, and former Chairman of the Clinic of the Institute of the Swedish Psychoanalytical Society.Penelope Crick is a Fellow of the Institute of Psychoanalysis, British Psychoanalytic Society, Clinical Director of the London Clinic of Psychoanalysis and is also in private practice in London.Mette Møller is a Training Analyst at the Danish Society and is in private practice, and a former Chair of the Danish Society´s Psychoanalytic Consultation Service. Elisabeth Skale is a Psychoanalyst, a Training Analyst and the President of the Vienna Psychoanalytical Society, and a former Clinical Director of the Vienna Psychoanalytical Ambulatorium.

"This thoughtful book reminded me how difficult it can be to listen fairly and objectively to our colleagues’ clinical material, particularly so when it concerns a first interview. [...] I congratulate the editors of this book for offering us a thoughtful, searching and important publication." - Anne-Marie Sandler, From the Foreword

• Sandler, Foreword. Møller, Lagerlöf, Reith, General Introduction. Part I: ‘Are You a Doctor, Sir?’ Lagerlöf, Skale, Introduction. Freud, Katharina. Skale, Commentary. Argelander, The Psychoanalytic Initial Interview and its Method: A Postscript to Freud’s Case ‘Katharina’. Lagerlöf, A Short Overview of the Development of Ideas About ‘First Interviews’ After Freud. Part II: Consultation and Referral. Crick, Introduction. Gibeault, Commentary. Kestemberg, Well, Then, Anything New? What that First Interview Can Teach Us. Crick, Commentary. Klauber, Personal Attitudes to Psychoanalytic Consultation. Crick, Commentary. Bronstein, Flanders, The Development of a Therapeutic Space in a First Contact with Adolescents. Gibeault, Commentary. Baldacci, Bouchard, The Analytic Encounter: A Historical and Process-oriented Perspective. Gibeault, Commentary. Donnet, de M'Uzan, The Analytical Encounter. Jaffè, Commentary. Bolognini, The Profession of Ferryman: Considerations on the Analyst’s Internal Attitude in Consultation and in Referral. Part III: The Analyst’s Struggle with the Experience of a First Meeting. Møller, Introduction. Møller, Commentary. Ogden, Comments on Transference and Countertransference in the Initial Analytic Meeting. Wegner, Commentary. Dantlgraber, Observations on the Subjective Indication for Psychoanalysis. Skale, Commentary. Wegner, The Opening Scene and the Importance of the Countertransference. Jaffè, Commentary. Racalbuto, The Consultation in Psychoanalysis and its 'Location': Working on the Frontier. Jaffè, Commentary. Ferro, Consultation, Reverie and Story-telling. Part IV: Daring or Reluctance to Start Analysis? Reith, Introduction. Reith, Commentary. Rothstein, A Perspective on Doing a Consultation and Making the Recommendation of Analysis to a Prospective Analysand. Gibeault, Commentary. David, In What Frame of Mind Should the First Interview be Approached? Reith, Commentary. Quinodoz, The Psychoanalyst of the Future: Wise Enough to Dare to be Mad at Times. Møller, Commentary. Ehrlich, The Analyst’s Reluctance to Begin a New Analysis. Vermote, Making the Best of a Bad Job.