The vulture in the room.

This case study explores the story of Eva, a 37-year-old woman who has embarked on a journey of psychotherapy to navigate the complexities of her past traumas and their manifestations in her present inability to set boundaries and assert her needs. The narrative unfolds through the intersubjective therapeutic relationship with a novice therapist who is also grappling with personal issues of competence and parallel dynamics of past abuse. The case illuminates the complexities of Eva’s life, from her violent childhood and oppressive family environment that demanded success at all costs to her traumatic experiences in academia and romantic relationships. Through the lens of intersubjective-systems theory and focusing on Brandchaft’s <italic>systems of pathological accommodation</italic>, the paper explores the patient’s struggle with self-cohesion and the internalized need to accommodate others to maintain a sense of security and attachment. The therapeutic encounter, characterized by a <italic>twinship in trauma</italic> becomes a site of transformation in which both patient and therapist navigate their vulnerabilities and strengths. The turning point in therapy occurs when the therapist inadvertently assumes the role of an authoritative figure, prompting Eva to express her own experience assertively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]