Abstract
The psychoanalytic concept of unconscious phantasy is described theoretically. It is then extended to the context of the marital/couple relationship, where the concept of a shared unconscious phantasy is explored. A clinical example is taken to demonstrate how a couple can be drawn to one another on the basis of a shared unconscious phnatsay, and how they can defend themselves from conscious knowledge of this phantasy through a mutually defensive protective system, which eventually leads to the breakdown of the relationship. The clinical material illustrates in detail the therapeutic task of understanding and uncovering the shared unconscious phantasy through working with the transference and counter-transference relationships.
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