Helpful And Unhelpful Countertransference In Psychology

In today’s psychology profession, a therapist and even the client can cross many boundaries if immediate boundaries are not put into place during the initial visit. Some boundaries that are crossed are not a problem at first and then the problem progresses. Leonard L. Glass called these, “the gray areas of boundary crossing and violation” (429). However, there is further description, “Boundary issues mostly refer to the therapist's self-disclosure, touch, an exchange of gifts, bartering and fees, length and location of sessions and contact outside the office” (Guthiel & Gabbard). This statement by Thomas G. Gutheil, M.D. & Glen O. Gabbard, M.D explains the meaning of boundary

Self-awareness, verbal dialogue in supervision, personal- therapy, and journaling, are some common inventions used to help therapists learn positive coping skills to deal with positive and negative counter-transference responses and behaviors. “Marriage and family therapist have come to perceive the concept of counter-transference as a valuable tool for enhancing the therapeutic process” (Gil & Rubin, 2005, p. 87).

Dual relationships and the ethical behavior that revolves around boundaries with clients present a multitude of very complicated situations to counselors where a clearly defined course of action is not always evident. Aside from no accord amongst mental health professionals and boundary issues being unavoidable at times, recognition and prediction of potential benefits or pitfalls correlated with dual relationships can prove to be troublesome as well (Remley & Herlihy, 2010). For most cases, it is best if an outline is used to discern when it is appropriate for a counselor to breach the client-counselor boundary.

Whether intentional or unintentional, the misdiagnosis of client concerns is a problem that can have implications for counselors and clients. Mead (1997) reported the

Transference is often manifested as an erotic attraction towards a therapist, but can be seen in many other forms such as rage, hatred, mistrust, prettification, extreme dependence, or even placing the therapist in a god-like or guru status. When Freud initially encountered transference in his therapy with clients, he felt it was an obstacle to treatment success. But what he learned was that the analysis of the transference was actually the work that needed to be done. The focus in psychodynamic psychotherapy is, in large part, the therapist and client recognizing the transference relationship and exploring what the meaning of the relationship is. Because the transference between patient and therapist happens on an unconscious level, psychodynamic therapists who are largely concerned with a patient's unconscious material use the transference to reveal unresolved conflicts patients have with figures from their childhoods. Countertransference is defined as redirection of a therapist's feelings toward a client, or more generally as a therapist's emotional entanglement with a client. A therapist's atonement to his own countertransference is nearly as critical as his understanding of the transference. Not only does this help the therapist regulate his or her own emotions in the therapeutic relationship, but it also gives the therapist valuable insight into

When comparing and contrasting the differences in the three approaches, I will review the relationship between client and counsellor. I will attempt to discover how the relationship is formed and how it is maintained during the therapeutic process. Once this has been established, I will then look at how the changes occur in the therapeutic relationship and which techniques will be used. I will compare and contrast the approaches of Carl Rogers, Sigmund Freud and Albert Ellis. I will look at how their theories have impacted on the counselling processes in modern times and throughout history.

Therapists basically explore avoidances, thoughts, feelings, relationships and life experiences. A patient sometimes may be aware of his condition but not be able to escape or explain it. Through the analysis of a patient’s early experiences of attachment figures and how they have affect him, he will be able to free himself from the bonds of past. To accomplish that, the psychodynamic therapy, focuses on interpersonal relations, on the affect and expression of emotions helping the patients through discussion to describe feelings which are troubling them and they do not recognise. Patients usually attempt to avoid distressing thoughts and feelings. At some cases, they present avoidance, defence and resistance by missing sessions or change the topic when certain ides arise. They also view the therapist with suspicion because they may have feelings of disapproval, rejection or even abandonment. This kind of therapy based on research has shown that leads to on-going change, even after it has ended.(Jonathan Shedler, American Psychologists;University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine; February–March 2010)

Vicarious Trauma and Countertransference Vicarious Trauma (VT) and Countertransference (CT) can occur throughout an individual’s career, working in the mental health field. VT occurs when mental health professionals are exposed to stress and trauma while treating clients (James & Gilliland, 2017). VT may be connected to a counselor’s engagement of empathy with clients (Trippany, Kress, & Wilcoxon, 2004). CT occurs when counselors take traits and behaviors of their past and place them on their clients (James & Gilliland, 2017). Mental health professionals are at higher risk for experiencing VT and CT (Newell & MacNeil, 2010).

Social workers must understand the power of countertransference and its harm during therapy. In regards to Audrey particular situation I notice how quickly the information gather in assessment. By not taking into account of Audrey upbringing as a clinician I neglected her family history and influence and while therapy continues if no being mindful of my actions could have contributed to the perpetuation of her behaviors that caused her depression. Dolgoff, Lowenberg, & Harrington (2012) discuss ethical decision making during practice the section of decision-making tools resonated, the idea of thinking impartially, which has help me place myself in Audrey's shoes and allowing me to form empathy. I still believe Audrey has open my mind to explore the uncomfortable because of her I will be more mindful of my thoughts and actions and how it can hinder the therapy session, the client and other outside attachments such as,

Individuals have a strong desire to be understood by others, yet they may often remain unfulfilled (Kottler, 2017 pp. 273-274). Those that enter the profession may find an awareness in solving their concerns and problems while on the path of assisting other people (Kottler, 2017). In view, the journey toward helping others may lead a counselor to pay attention to acknowledging their own feelings, self-discovery, self-assessment, and such self-realization may, in turn, be a catalyst for growth. However, a counselor’s vulnerability of countertransference may arise if the counselor transfers feelings to a client, which may be a response to the phenomenon of transference. Also, being close to others situational difficulties may cause one to internalize other’s problems.

This paper will explore the concept of dual relationships between counselors and clients and the ethical implications of such relationships. In addition to presenting several examples of dual relationships, this paper will also explore how ethical decisions must be made to avoid potentially harmful or exploitive relationships in therapy as well understanding how different interactions between counselor and clients can be understood from an ethical standpoint, as well as how reviewing these ethical dilemmas may shape my future career as a counselor.

Clinical psychologists treat those whose thought patterns and behaviours are a threat to their own wellbeing and potentially a threat to others. By using techniques such as observation and interviews, clinical psychologists will assess a patients problem and use this information to provide suitable treatment. Treatments through this pathway require the patients cooperation to both analyse and manage their condition (Health Careers, 2016). Whilst conducting treatments with

Psychotherapy and counselling are inseparable. The effectiveness of a counselling program is not just based on the connectedness and interaction between a therapist and a client, but also the framework of the counselling approach in helping the client improving his mental health or overcoming personal problems. There are an extensive number of psychotherapies developed by past researchers, with each therapeutic concept offering unique contributions in understanding human behaviour and useful implications for counselling practice (Bedi et al., 2011).

Research has shown that a strong therapeutic alliance is necessary for establishing a beneficial contact between the therapist and the client. If the therapist does not encourage the creation of a reliable therapeutic alliance from the beginning of the treatment, it will be hard to develop a constructive relationship with the client later. Establishing the therapeutic alliance will increase the chances of achieving the goal of the treatment because the clients will be willing to cooperate if they trust and respect the therapist. Clients are not likely to cooperate with therapists who impose their authority aggressively. Instead of imposing their authority on the patient, therapists should develop work with their patients by

In chapter two the Counselor as a Person and as a Professional I learned that countertransference is when a therapist transfers their emotions