Countertransference: see munchousensbyproxy, did, stockholm syndrome

Often, countertransference is unconscious, and both the clinician nor the client realizes it is happening.

Countertransference is an important reminder that therapists are human beings too and that they have their own biases, history, and emotions which can influence their thoughts and reactions to clients.

In a therapy session, a client might remind the therapist of someone or something from their present or their past. As a result, the clinician might unconsciously treat the client in an emotionally-charged or biased way.

Because of this, clinicians must be aware of countertransference at all times and actively work to acknowledge and overcome it in their practice (Overstreet, 2021).

Countertransference therapy

Countertransference in therapy refers to the emotional reactions, biases, or perceptions that a therapist may have towards a client, influenced by the therapist’s own personal experiences, unconscious feelings, or issues. It can affect the therapeutic relationship and the treatment process.

Take-Home Messages

Countertransference is a therapist’s reaction and feelings toward a client in therapy. It is the opposite of transference or a client’s emotional reaction to their therapist.

Countertransference is a common, unconscious phenomenon that can negatively impact the therapeutic relationship if not properly addressed.

Freud first identified countertransference as a detriment to an analyst’s understanding of their patient. Present-day, countertransference is viewed with a mix of both negative and positive associations in psychology.

What Does Countertransference Look Like?

Countertransference occurs whenever a therapist brings in their own experiences to the extent that they lose perspective of the client’s own and stop being objective (Jacobson, 2022).

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 room

Inappropriately disclosed personal information

Develops romantic feelings for the client

Does not have adequate boundaries with the client

Is overly critical or supportive of the client

Transference vs. Countertransference

If countertransference is the emotional reaction a therapist might have towards their client, it follows that transference is the opposite: a client’s emotional reaction to their therapist.

Transference is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when a client redirects their feelings for someone from their past or present onto the clinician. This can include their feelings towards a family member, friend, or significant other.

Like countertransference, this phenomenon is mostly unconscious, and the client is likely unaware that they are being influenced by it. Unlike countertransference, transference in therapy is accepted. The therapist can even use transference as a tool to better understand their client’s personal relationships and emotionality.

Countertransference can be thought of as the clinician’s response to a client’s transference (Overstreet, 2021).

However, whereas transference is a normal and accepted part of the therapeutic process, clinicians are responsible for monitoring their countertransference so they remain objective in their therapy and do not harm the client.

Types

There are four types of countertransference, three of which have the potential to harm the therapeutic relationship (Fritscher, 2021).

Subjective

In subjective countertransference, the therapist’s own unresolved issues are the cause. In other words, experience from the therapist’s own history is re-experienced in response to their client.

An example of this includes a therapist who fears anger due to a family history of aggression, so they discourage any expression of anger from their client. This subjective form of countertransference can be harmful if not detected.

Objective

In objective countertransference, the therapist’s reaction to their client’s maladaptive behaviors is the cause. Maladaptive behaviors are behaviors that inhibit one’s ability to healthy cope or adjust to certain situations. Most people would have the same reaction to this person; thus, the therapist’s reaction is “objective.”

Unlike subjective countertransference, objective countertransference can actually benefit the therapeutic process. For instance, if the therapist can accept and study this objective reaction they have to their client, they can use this countertransference as an analytical tool.

Positive

Positive countertransference is present when a therapist is over-supportive of their client. Signs of over-support can include when a therapist is trying too hard to befriend their client, disclosing too much from their personal life, or over-identifying with their client’s experiences.

This can harm the therapeutic relationship as it diminishes professional boundaries and keeps a therapist from working and treating their client with objectivity.

Importantly, some psychologists believe that this positive form of countertransference can actually have beneficial outcomes by improving the therapist-client relationship.

Negative

Negative countertransference occurs when a therapist acts out against uncomfortable feelings in a negative way. This includes being overly critical of the client, punishing them, rejecting them, or disapproving of the client.

Negative countertransference is also evident when the therapist feels bored, irked, paralyzed, or contemptuous in their therapy with a particular client.

Countertransference is especially problematic when it is negative, as it can further harm a client’s psyche and lead to therapy doing more harm than good.

I was with Prichards for 26 years, on and off. How are you not seeing patterns yet? I'm trying to help multiple people here. Lost in the system.