Table of Contents
What is countertransference behavior?
Countertransference, which occurs when a therapist transfers emotions to a person in therapy, is often a reaction to transference, a phenomenon in which the person in treatment redirects feelings for others onto the therapist. Post-Jungians such as Fordham7 have gone on to distinguish between two types of countertransference: the illusory and the syntonic. The illusory is stirred up in the therapist’s unconscious from unresolved issues and conflicts in her own psyche. Therapists can also take steps to manage counter-transference. The 2018 meta-analysis recommends therapists closely monitor themselves and work on their conflicts through personal psychotherapy, meditation, and self-care. They may also consider clinical supervision. Victor Altshul and I identified three kinds of problematic countransferences. These are the turning away countertransference, activated countertransference, and unconscious enactment. A therapist might also educate a person in treatment on the identification of various situations in which transference may be taking place. Techniques such as journaling can allow a person in therapy to identify possible patterns in both thought and behavior, through the review and comparison of past entries.
What is the impact of countertransference?
Destructive countertransference patterns can have a significant and pervasive effect on the counseling relationship. They can erode any sense of trust or rapport that may have developed between counselor and client. One common example of countertransference is when a therapist finds herself feeling protective and parental towards a client, as that client may be reminding her of her own child (or someone else she feels protective of in her life). Another example is when a client rubs you the wrong way. Ways to identify and deal with transference and countertransference include being aware of danger signs in clients, monitoring self, and taking relevant material to supervision. Danger signs include the client ‘acting out’ or being very familiar towards you, or you feeling parental towards your client. All well trained therapists are aware of transference and countertransference and should be comfortable bringing the dynamics up, when they sense that there is some form of transference happening. All well trained therapists are aware of transference and countertransference and should be comfortable bringing the dynamics up, when they sense that there is some form of transference happening.
What does countertransference look like?
Examples of countertransference include when the therapist: Over-identifies with the client’s stories and shares too many about themselves. Offers a lot of advice instead of listening to the client’s experience. Pushed the client to take action the client doesn’t feel ready for. Wants to relate outside of the therapy … Therapists are human beings with emotions just like everyone else, and there are times when showing emotion in session can really help the client. One of the most important jobs a therapist has is to model a healthy interpersonal relationship, and there are no healthy interpersonal human relationships without emotion. Therapists do get frustrated with clients from time to time, but some can handle difficult clients better than others. This may be due to training or inherent personality traits. The short answer is that you can tell your therapist anything – and they hope that you do. It’s a good idea to share as much as possible, because that’s the only way they can help you.
How common is countertransference?
The intense emotional experience of countertransference in psychotherapy also is not rare. Some studies have reported that 95 percent of male therapists and 76 percent of female therapists admit that they felt sexual feelings toward their patients. Therapists’ Feelings and Behaviors Toward Clients Most therapists (71 percent) said they, either sometimes or regularly, found a client sexually attractive. Approximately 23 percent had fantasized about being in a romantic relationship and 27 percent about having sexual contact with a patient. When a client falls in love with a therapist it is likely to be ‘transference’: the predisposition we all have to transfer onto people in the present experiences and related emotions and unmet longings associated with people from our past. For example, transference in therapy happens when a patient attaches anger, hostility, love, adoration, or a host of other possible feelings onto their therapist or doctor. Therapists know this can happen. For example, transference in therapy happens when a patient attaches anger, hostility, love, adoration, or a host of other possible feelings onto their therapist or doctor. Therapists know this can happen.
What are the types of countertransference?
Victor Altshul and I identified three kinds of problematic countransferences. These are the turning away countertransference, activated countertransference, and unconscious enactment. Post-Jungians such as Fordham7 have gone on to distinguish between two types of countertransference: the illusory and the syntonic. The illusory is stirred up in the therapist’s unconscious from unresolved issues and conflicts in her own psyche. Reactive countertransferences are the therapist’s responses to the impact of strong emotions directed toward him by the patient. The induced countertransference is an empathetic process, a suggestive influence that goes from the patient toward the therapist. Destructive countertransference patterns can have a significant and pervasive effect on the counseling relationship. They can erode any sense of trust or rapport that may have developed between counselor and client.
Which of the following is an example of countertransference?
Examples of Countertransference Excessive disclosure of personal matters — If the therapist “hits it off” with a client, it can be easy for the therapist to view the client as a friend. This may result in the therapist opening up and sharing personal matters that aren’t beneficial to the client’s treatment. Other things to avoid during a therapy session include: asking about other confidential conversations with other clients; showcasing violent emotions; or implying any romantic or sexual interest in your therapist. The number one job of a therapist is to keep you safe and protect their clients’ privacy. According to new research, 72 percent of therapists surveyed felt friendship toward their clients. 70 percent of therapists had felt sexually attracted to a client at some point; 25 percent fantasized about having a romantic relationship. We can notice if a client may be dissociated if we look out for the following cues: If the client feels in a fog. The client consistently asks therapist to repeat the questions. The client feels as though they are a long way away.
Can countertransference be positive in Counselling?
There are two types of countertransference: negative and positive. Positive countertransference may be used to some benefit in a therapist-client relationship. When the therapist responds in a way that reflects influence by the patient’s projection, this is often referred to as a countertransference enactment. In other words, the therapist is enacting something that originated in the internal world of the patient. All well trained therapists are aware of transference and countertransference and should be comfortable bringing the dynamics up, when they sense that there is some form of transference happening. The intense emotional experience of countertransference in psychotherapy also is not rare. Some studies have reported that 95 percent of male therapists and 76 percent of female therapists admit that they felt sexual feelings toward their patients.