Posted by Dinah on February 16, 2009, at 19:15:03
In reply to Transference and Counter-Transference?, posted by SLS on February 16, 2009, at 17:51:05
It's used differently by different schools of thought. Some see it as any feeling felt by the client for the therapist (transference) or the therapist for the client (countertransference). While others use the more limited meaning of feelings the client has for the therapist that arises from the client's past experiences. Or vice versa.
For example, my therapist said with respect to his countertransference towards me that he had a problem with dependent women. He was instantly mortified and never referred to it again (although I did), and his attitude towards me changed markedly. He had recognized his countertransference, if in a somewhat different manner than he might prefer, and he dealt with it.
And I have a very pronounced parental transference with him. Given my previous experience with parents, this means something different to me than it might to someone else. If a client had a problem with authority, for example, they might see him as a cold and withholding authority figure or a punitive and angry authority figure. While I tend to have positive views of authority figures so my transference is largely positive. And I strongly suspect he has a positive countertransferential reaction to that. :)
But there is the real relationship too, where I see him for who he really is, and he sees me for who I really am.
And transference doesn't happen just in therapy. It can happen at work, or in romantic relationships, or on internet bulletin boards even. So theoretically, working with the transference in therapy, with a trained professional, helps people move to more balanced and healthy way of relating to others.
Or in my case, at least an amused appreciation or understanding of how the way I'm relating to people is only partly due to the immediate situation and partly due to my accumulated experiences.
poster:Dinah
thread:880539
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20090214/msgs/880560.html