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Transference and Countertransference: Presenting Issues
As 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 feelings about someone from their past onto the therapist (Madeson, 2021, p.7).
A client may project anger at a parental figure onto the therapist. In the case of an adolescent or a child, this may occur because the parent has forced the child into therapy, while with an adult, this may occur because the client is projecting resentment and anger onto the therapist as the most readily available authority figure. For example, if the therapist leaves town for a weekend, the client may feel angry at the therapist for abandoning him or her during an emotional crisis, if the client was abandoned by a parent many years ago.
Negative transference, as seen in the above-cited examples, can emotionally distort the clients view of reality (Madeson, 2021). Even though a therapist may have specific obligations to the client, the client may overreact to perceived rejection due to transference and the association of the therapist with an abusive parent, unfeeling spouse, or other emotionally important figure. However, transference can also be positive. Positive past relationships, such as enjoyed with parents, teachers, and other authority...…example, a therapist who has survived abuse may project feelings attached to a therapists violent ex-boyfriend onto a violent client; a client who is being bullied may stir up feelings the therapist had about their own child who was bullied in school. Again, self-awareness is critical (Madeson, 2021). Therapists are still human beings, even though they are professionals, and they can be aware of their feelings, even though they must discipline themselves (as I hope I will) so these feelings do not compromise the therapeutic relationship. If I have strong feelings about a client, I know I must take a breath, and perhaps discuss the case with a colleague or supervisor (in an ethically acceptable way), so I know I am giving the client the best type…
References
Madeson, M. (2021, June 19). Countertransference and transference in therapy: 6 examples.
Positive Psychology. https://positivepsychology.com/countertransference-and-transference/
Prasko, J., Diveky, T., Grambal, A., Kamaradova, D., Mozny, P., Sigmundova, Z., Slepecky, M.,& Vyskocilova, J. (2010). Transference and countertransference in cognitive behavioral therapy. Biomedical papers of the Medical Faculty of the University Palacky, Olomouc, Czechoslovakia, 154(3), 189–197. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21048803/
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Countertransference occurs when a psychotherapist transfers or projects feelings onto a patient. This can be a problem because when it happens the therapist introduces a third party's (his own) emotional state into the life of the patient, who is attempting to understand his own feelings without the insertion of another's to complicate matters. However, it can also be useful according to some researchers who view forms of countertransference as useful,
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