Abstract
While Eric Berne viewed physical contact between therapist and client with considerable anxiety and disapproval, the use of touch as therapeutic invention has become common in the practice of transactional analysis. This article presents a theoretical discussion of some of the implications of intentional physical contact between therapist and client, with particular attention to ethical and transferential concerns. It is the central premise of this article that the use of touch can simultaneously evoke a rich and potentially disturbing mix of history, affect, and desire.