Psychodynamic Transference

In contemporary psychology, clinicians typically make a distinction between helpful and unhelpful countertransference. Many contemporary psychologists openly share their own feelings with the people they are treating and may use countertransference, in a conscious manner, to understand differences between their own experiences and the experiences of the person in therapy.

Over identify, desire to protect, rescue fantasies, competiveness with parents, and befriending are just a few of the counter-transference response and behaviors therapists have reported experiencing when counseling children and adolescents. Therapists who also work with abused women have also reported instances of counter-transference responses such as reluctance to explore abuse- related issues, identification with the victim or the abuser, vicarious

In addition, Rizq, R. (2005) defines projective identification as a development within the therapeutic process resulting in feelings and thoughts conceivably affecting someone else and maybe reversed from client to counsellor as well. Alternatively, the counsellor may have unconsciously brought, proactive countertransference, Clarkson, P, (2002) to the process. Proactive countertransference is defined as thoughts, feelings, and the ambience that are introduced into the process by the counsellor. However, in saying this, if the counsellor was consciously aware of this within the process they may effectively be able to develop or could consider using this in helping them understand the client. Additional attributes of the counsellor were wounds that appeared in the counsellor 's thoughts, (a) mistrust of others, and (b) a presumption that relationships fall apart due to hiding their secrets. This also infers by placing trust in a relationship we are likely to be deceived and deserted.

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

Transference – clients unconscious shifting to the analyst of feelings and fantasies that are reactions to significant others in the client’s past. Involves the unconscious repetition of the past in the present

However, counter-transference is caused by the counsellors own limitations which might include the counsellor unresolved emotional issues, but a counsellor can use this to their advantage and draw out information that is important to the clients therapeutic process.

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).

Today, the majority of counselors and therapists operate from an integrative standpoint; that is, they are open to “various ways of integrating diverse theories and techniques” (Corey, 2009b, p. 449). In fact, a survey in Psychotherapy Networker (2007) found that over 95% of respondents proclaimed to practice an integrative approach (cited in Corey, 2009b, p. 449). Corey (2009a; 2009b) explains that no one theory is comprehensive enough to attend to all aspects of the human – thought, feeling, and behavior. Therefore, in order to work with clients on all three of these levels, which Corey (2009b) asserts is necessary for the

Once upon a time being a therapist was considered a calling. The images of a counselor sitting back in their comfy cushioned chairs listening to hours and hours of patient's dilemmas, heartaches and mental health issues have been replaced with the hard cold facts that therapists today are

Joel himself is the primary element in ensuring the success of his therapy. Therefore it is vital that his therapist pay specific attention to the frame of reference Joel fosters, in addition to his utilization of inner and outer resources. Similarly, it is of upmost importance that Joel’s therapist display an empathic understanding of the experiences and worries Joel is undergoing whilst ensuring a non-judgemental and genuine perspective is communicated. It is also important for Joel’s therapist to remember that she is a guest within Joel’s world of experience (Cox, Bachkirova & Clutterbuck, 2010)

Freud then discusses, “The phenomenon of thought transference, which is very close to telepathy..”(page 49). Thought transference can be described as the mental process in a person, the ideas, emotional states, and conative impulses, which can be transferred to someone without using any communication, signs or languages. Freud relates cases of patients who have performed thought transference they include, a man who is in love with his sister and he wants to marry her, a woman who couldn’t conceive children with her husband and that was what was keeping her from happiness, and a young man who was abusive and wanted a wife but just wasn’t happy with what he had. Freud believes these patients went through thought transference, and those patients went through dream interpretation and psychoanalysis in general assist occultism(page 58). Freud’s next part of his lecture was about a long case study involving “Herr P.” which was another one of Freud’s patients that was experiencing thought transference, he was having erotic relations with women, because of this patient Freud does believe thought transference does exist and people are experiencing it. Freud goes on to tell another story then brings it all back to psychoanalysis, which is where it all started from.

Britzman and Pitt (1996) described transference as impression of unresolved past conflict with others that is projected into the new interaction and relationship. Usher (2013) suggested that transference occurs when the client makes fabricated connection to the therapist. Freud proposed that transference occurs unconsciously in two ways: Template is when the client attempts to categorises all their later relationship based on the earlier relationship; and repetition compulsion is when the client replays traumatic past relationship or situation (Kahn, 2003). For example, if a client has a critical mother, then, they will categorise all women of certain age and characteristics to that template. And client sees the therapist as the critical mother and repetition causes them to act in certain ways to get the reaction they want from the therapist. Freud found that transference occurs everywhere, and it is not isolated to just therapy setting.

Transference and countertransference – the new terms to me. I have learned today that sometimes it can impede session or interfere the professional relationships; it can also lead to bias (when you give advice, reflect on these memories, project your feelings and fulfill your needs rather than being helpful to the client).

There are many emerging influences that shape both my professional and personal development as a practitioner. Accessing a vast array of life experiences, contributes richly to the evolution of my individual approach. Aptly noted as “Counsellors and therapists are influenced by their own experience or story as they develop or adopt their theoretical stance”(Milner and Palmer, 2001, P. 17)). Ongoing instruction at college and engagement with fellow students continue to prompt further learning, allowing for openness and shared knowledge. This facilitates an atmosphere of mutual exchange which often flows spontaneously. In addition personal research undertaken around theoretical subject matter expands and enhances understanding. Attending training and workshops in Transactional Analysis, Emotion Focused Therapy, Neurobiology of Anxiety and Trauma and Seren work with the survivors of sexual abuse, have promoted exploration, development and growth. Discovering scientific aspects of neurobiology and its positive affects, affirm the effectiveness of the therapeutic engagement in counselling. Details consolidating these findings are described

If the client feels “safe” in the session, this can be very powerful for them. As sessions occur, the client will feel more comfortable in trusting the clinician with their feelings, attitudes and emotions. The client is able to present their needs and problems in ways that only they can express. Another factor that may resonate in the sessions may include transference and counter-transference. Transference is when the client’s attitudes, feelings and emotional conflicts from past events begin to be directed to the therapist, while Countertransference is exactly the opposite, when the therapist’s attitudes, feelings, and emotional conflicts from the past are directed towards the client (Transference and Countertransference, 2011). There are not too many positive factors with Countertransference, except being able to recognize it, when it exists, and be able to work out any conflict. A client’s experiences can affect their feelings, emotions, and behaviors towards their therapist. If the therapist remains their professionalism, and sets the proper limits and boundaries, a client can work through past experiences that are affecting their functioning. In a lecture, it is the role of the counselor to recognize the client’s experience; reflect and process the client’s emotional state, as well as process their own emotional reactions to clients and their issues. When clients can work through their problems from past