Jan 2023: Exploring Transference and Countertransference for Colorado Clinical Supervision
It’s the beginning of a new year, and this offers us time for reflection, checking in with the baggage we’re bringing into the new year. Often, we feel reflective - considering our patterns in our relationships and our clinical work. To view these patterns more profoundly, our topic for supervision this month will be transference and countertransference. Transference has deep roots in psychology, dating back to Freud’s work in the late 1800s.
Countertransference is a term used in psychotherapy and refers to the therapist's unconscious emotions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors triggered by their interaction with a client. It occurs when the therapist transfers their emotional issues onto the client, either by projecting their unconscious feelings onto the client or by reacting to the client's behavior personally or emotionally.
Countertransference can be positive or negative and impact the therapeutic relationship and therapy progress. For example, a therapist experiencing anger towards a client may become critical or dismissive in their responses, which can harm the therapeutic relationship. On the other hand, a therapist who feels empathy towards a client may be able to understand better and support them.
Transference is a phenomenon that occurs in psychotherapy when a client unconsciously redirects emotions, feelings, or attitudes from past relationships onto the therapist. This can happen when the client perceives the therapist as someone similar to someone important from their past, such as a parent, teacher, or authority figure.
For example, a client who had a difficult relationship with their mother may unconsciously transfer those feelings onto their therapist and experience feelings of anger, frustration, or disappointment towards the therapist. These feelings may not be related to the therapist's actions or words but reflect the client's unresolved feelings from their past relationships.
Transference can be an opportunity for the therapist and client to explore and understand the client's unconscious emotions and patterns of behavior and can provide valuable insight into the client's emotional and psychological functioning. The therapist can help the client become aware of these transferential feelings, understand where they come from, and work through them in therapy. This can lead to greater self-awareness, insight, and positive change.
As early career social workers and counselors, there can be big feelings of shame, avoidance, or fear in talking about our transference and countertransference with our clients and work. It can often be talked about as a sign of weakness or inability to do “the job.”
This month, we’re going to normalize its existence. As with most things, the problem is not the countertransference or the transference; it’s the refusal to acknowledge when it’s here and how it impacts us and our work.
In preparation for our meeting, please prepare using the following tools:
This video, used for a graduate counseling class, makes countertransference and transference delightful & relatable.
This research article encourages deep inquiry into whether our clients are unlikeable or if it’s countertransference.
Another writing by a counseling group provides an overview of CT/T and how it shows up for us in our work.
Managing countertransference is an important aspect of effective therapy and requires ongoing self-reflection and self-awareness on the therapist's part. Here are some ways a therapist can manage countertransference:
Awareness: The first step in managing countertransference is for the therapist to be aware of their emotions and reactions in the therapeutic relationship. This requires ongoing self-reflection and the ability to recognize when emotions are being triggered.
Self-Care: Therapists need to engage in self-care activities such as regular exercise, good nutrition, and adequate sleep, as well as activities that help manage stress, such as meditation or mindfulness practices.
Supervision: Therapists can benefit from regular supervision with an experienced therapist or supervisor to process their reactions to clients and gain insight into how their own experiences may affect their work.
Therapy: Therapists may benefit from participating in therapy to work through their issues and gain greater self-awareness.
Boundary Setting: Therapists should maintain clear and professional boundaries with their clients and avoid becoming too involved or personally involved in their clients' lives.
Flexibility: Therapists should be flexible in their approach and be open to adjusting their style or approach if they find that their feelings are getting in the way of effective therapy.
Reflecting on Countertransference: Therapists can reflect on their countertransferential feelings and use them to gain greater insight into the client's experiences and emotions. This can be done by exploring why certain feelings are triggered and how they might relate to the client's experiences.
By being aware of and managing their own emotions and reactions, therapists can provide a safe and supportive environment for their clients and promote positive therapeutic outcomes.
We look forward to connecting soon.
