Posted by pegasus on January 18, 2005, at 18:17:40
In reply to counter transfernce ..., posted by toomuchpain on January 18, 2005, at 17:15:28
My understanding is more like Fallen's. I was taught that countertransference is any transference that the therapist has onto the client. So, it's the same as our transference to them, only it just goes in the opposite direction. In other words, it's any reaction they have to clients that isn't rooted in what's actually happening in the moment, but instead has some charge from previous relationships or events in the T's life.
For example, if I remind my T of her hated Aunt Mary, and so she has a hard time being nice to me, even though I'm perfectly nice to her, that would be countertransference. Or if the T has has issues in their past about being in control, they may inappropriately try to take too much control during your therapy. Etc. Or you could remind them of a long lost best friend, and so they could act more chummy toward you than is warranted by the state of your actual relationship.
That kind of thing. I think most training programs teach therapists to be really aware of what countertransference comes up in them, and work really hard to keep it out of their clients' therapy.
pegasus
poster:pegasus
thread:443829
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20050117/msgs/443858.html