Can you explain what counter-transference is? I mean, I know the textbook definition, but I was wondering if you could give me examples or something. Thanks!
for those who don’t already know, countertransference refers to a reaction that a therapist has towards a client. the term originated with Freud, but most (all?) other therapeutic approaches also use the term. it. Freud was talking about how a therapist’s unconscious feelings, beliefs, etc., are projected onto a client. current schools of thought would more broadly say that countertransference is about how a therapist’s identity, past experiences, beliefs, etc., influence their understanding and emotional response to the client. although people tend to talk about countertransference as an always negative thing, both Freud and current approaches would disagree. Countertransference is always present- a therapist is never a blank slate -and while it can be a harmful thing, it can also be helpful or neutral. The trick is in identifying countertransference, its source, and its potential impacts on the client so that you can prevent any harm and appropriately gain any benefit.
transference is the opposite- it’s about how a client’s identity, past experiences, beliefs, etc., influence their understanding and emotional response to the therapist.
so- examples. I’m going to use one from my own experience to discuss potentially helpful countertransference and potentially harmful countertransference- because they often overlap. I’m also picking this example because often countertransference is presented as exclusively romantic or sexual, but again, countertransference includes all aspects of emotional reaction and connection to the therapist’s identity, beliefs, and so on.
I notice the most countertransference when I see young women, like 18-30ish. It’s probably because I am a young woman (or, I used to be) and it’s easier for me to identify with them. I worked with a particular young woman for a long time, and in some ways really identified with her- both intelligent, with common interests, with some overlap in important shaping experiences. That was in some ways a good thing- this client had a personality disorder that other clinicians struggled with, but I easily empathized with her because of our similarities and my general connection with young women. That meant that it was easier for me to work deeply with her and provide quality and empathetic care even when our interactions were difficult. In some ways it had the potential to be harmful, too, because at times I felt frustrated that this woman with all this talent and potential was resigned to being unable to work and unable to go to school for the rest of her life. That could lead me to attributing her ambivalence towards treatment as a lack of effort rather than as an aspect of her symptoms. Fortunately I had excellent supervision and a great team to work with that helped me manage my countertransference.
