Verified Document

How Therapists And Counselors Experience Transference Essay

Freud coined the terms transference and countertransference to refer to the psychodynamics of the therapeutic relationship. Transference refers to the client transferring feelings or projecting onto the therapist; whereas countertransference refers to the therapist transferring onto the client. Freud believed that transference and countertransference were “universal,” and they are indeed inevitabilities in human relationships (Riedbord, 2010). Moreover, the phenomena of transference and countertransference can be detrimental to the therapeutic relationship, especially when they are undetected or ignored. As Hughes & Kerr (2000) put it, transference and countertransference are “inappropriate” because instead of addressing the actual client’s concerns and issues, the therapeutic conversation is shifted to one that is counterproductive to the therapeutic goals (p. 57). Countertransference violates the therapeutic alliance and needs to be remedied, primarily with self-awareness (Hughes & Kerr, 2000).

I have experienced both transference and countertransference. When working with counselors, I have externalized my feelings about parental or authority figures, projecting them onto the counselor. This led to my not being able to trust the therapist entirely. As a counselor, I have also recognized the tendency to project and to counter-transfer. The relationship between the client and the counselor is mediated by so many different variables like age, gender, and ethnicity. When we recognize certain features in our clients or our counselors, we may draw irrational cognitive connections between similar figures in our personal and private lives. It is natural to do so, but because transference and countertransference are detrimental to the therapeutic goals, they need to be mitigated by remaining vigilant. The counselor or therapist is ultimately responsible for recognizing when transference or countertransference might occur, being aware of the warning signs and being willing to terminate the therapeutic relationship if necessary.

References

Hughes, P. & Kerr, I. (2000). Transference and countertransference in communication between doctor and patient. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment 6(1): 57-64.

Riedbord, S. (2010). Countertransference: an overview. Psychology Today. Retrieved online: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sacramento-street-psychiatry/201003/countertransference-overview

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Transference and Countertransference Coping With Them As a Therapist...
Words: 751 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Transference and Countertransference: Presenting IssuesAs I plan to work with young children, I anticipate different issues with transference and countertransference than a counselor who primarily focuses on working with older adults. However, all counselors should be aware of the phenomenon, how it occurs, and why, and all counselors can face the challenges of dealing with a client unconsciously coping with transference. Quite simply, transference is when a client unconsciously transfers

Psychodynamic Counselors Facilitate Change In Order to
Words: 2851 Length: 11 Document Type: Essay

psychodynamic counselors facilitate change? In order to understand how psychodynamic counselors facilitate change through a therapeutic relationship with their client, it is worth discussing what psychodynamic therapy is, how it is used, how it originated, and who some of its most notable founders were. Towards the end of this document, in the description of how psychodynamic therapy is used, descriptions of recent psychodynamic therapy sessions that the author undertook in

Countertransference Hate, Suicidal Patients, and
Words: 1798 Length: 5 Document Type: Research Proposal

2022). Conclusion: In the end, it appears that Ms. Kondrot should have called Chuck's parents and asked them to intervene with their troubled son. Why didn't she? Other questions remain. Did Ms. Kondrot experience any of the reactions mentioned in the paragraph above? Did she go through grief, anger or betrayal -- or perhaps self-doubt or inadequacy? Readers are not informed in the Bernstein article. Ms. Kondrot testified at the

Clinical Supervision
Words: 3503 Length: 10 Document Type: Term Paper

Likewise, engaging in too much control over a Stage III supervisee could lead to quite a bit of tension in the supervisor/supervisee relationship and result in negative transference to clients in counseling sessions. Nonetheless, this notion that counseling supervisees develop in relatively predictable stages and that an effective supervisor can best help them progress by approaching them at the level of supervision that corresponds to their own development is

Abnormal Behavior and Psychopathology Although
Words: 1250 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

In this regard, these authors report that, "Twenty years ago, it would not have been uncommon to find a core team of medical doctors and nurses managing all inpatient activities in a hospital setting, with ancillary support from social workers, psychologists, and volunteers. The pattern has now changed dramatically" (Stravynski & O'Connor, p. 606). Contributing to the increasingly rapid evolution of abnormal psychology into a strictly scientific discipline, at least

Ethical Practice Involves Working Positively Diversity Difference
Words: 2498 Length: 8 Document Type: Essay

Ethical Practice Involves Working Positively Diversity Difference Counseling is a profession that involves associations based on principles and values ethically. Patients are able to benefit by understanding themselves better and through creating relationships with others. Through counseling, the clients are able to make positive alteration in life and enhance their living standards. Communities, organizations, couples and families are different groups of individuals are main sources of relationships (BACP Ethical Framework, 2013,

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now