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PubMed1992

The countertransference position and the countertransference.

The concept of countertransference assumes different meanings depending on the context in which it is used. And yet it is an essential concept whose absence would have important theoretical and practical consequences. At the risk of increasing the psychoanalytic Babel, I propose the concept of the counter-transferential position which, in my view, allows a better understanding of the multiple determinations which impinge upon the analyst during the session. In a brief clinical example, I examine a 'countertransferential symptom' and the analyst's function of 'listening to listening'.

Affect↗

PubMed1991

Effects of therapist-trainees' anxiety and empathy on countertransference behavior.

This study examined the relationship between therapist-trainees' state anxiety and countertransference behavior and the possible moderating role played by empathy. Primary hypotheses were: (a) Trainee state anxiety is related positively to countertransference behavior; and (b) the adverse effects of anxiety would influence only less empathic trainees. Thirty-five trainees (11 males, 24 females) conducted counseling sessions with each of two clients, who then rated their counselor's empathy. Countertransference behavior subsequently was assessed through trainees' responses to two audiotaped clients; state anxiety was self-reported after each audiotape "session." State anxiety was found to relate to countertransference as predicted, but only for male trainees. The hypothesized moderating effect of empathy was unsupported. The role of gender as related to anxiety and countertransference is discussed.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Countertransference in the family therapy of survivors of sexual abuse.

As family therapy of sexual abuse survivors has become more common, theoretical and technical issues have received considerable attention. Less attention has been devoted to the countertransference experience of the therapist. Unexamined therapist countertransference is a critical element in the treatment of these families, which markedly influences the nature and direction of treatment. Particular types of countertransference are presented here. In addition, the contention is made that countertransference is not only evoked by the particular presentation of the family members, but also by the therapist's unexplored political and moral beliefs.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1979

Clinical aspects of the countertransference.

Some of the ways in which countertransference reactions may manifest themselves are outlined in a series of case examples, which also illustrate how the therapist's recognition of the countertransference brought to light hitherto unrecognized transference resistances, thereby permitting their interpretation and progress in therapy. A number of technical steps for dealing with the countertransference are outlined, along with the reminder that while attention to the countertransference is important the therapist's principal focus must remain with the patient.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

The maternal erotic countertransference.

This paper reviews literature on countertransference erotism and perversion, and offers our conception of the maternal erotic countertransference. We stress that sado-masochistic issues are not only issues of aggression, but represent pre-oedipal erotism as well. The analyst's struggle with these issues may contribute to a perverse misalliance instead of a creative coupling. It is typical of the perverse misalliance that it contains a refusal to participate, with all the attendant disinterest and deadness and lack of creativity usually associated with that condition. We have emphasized two keys to springing the analyst from the deadlocks of such paralysing countertransferences, thereby opening access to the creative use of both maternal erotic transference and countertransference. First, is the analyst's ability to view herself or himself as maternally erotic; and second, is the analyst's ability to experience, contain and make accessible to analysis the patient's potential erotism, including its perverse aspects.

Adult↗

PubMed1976

Countertransference: a neglected subject in clinical supervision.

As an acknowledged aspect of psychotherapy, countertransference would be an anticipated subject for discussion in clinical supervision. However, the authors' review of videotapes of 24 supervisors working with second-year residents revealed that 12 made no comments on the subject, 8 approached the subject directly, and 4 approached it indirectly. The authors discuss the reasons for this avoidance of countertransference issues and note that discussion of countertransference does not necessarily change supervision into therapy.

Countertransference↗

PubMed1991

New uses of countertransference for the inpatient treatment of borderline personality disorder.

The author describes the uses of countertransference for the inpatient treatment of borderline personality disorder. Differences from usage in the dyadic outpatient situation are noted. In particular, the countertransference induced in staff may provide a crucial signal function reflecting the patient-ward system. Understanding these feelings provides information not only about the patient's inner world but also about general system features such as the staff's needs, therapeutic capacity and unresolved feelings from previous borderline patients. The signal function may also have diagnostic and treatment implications. A conceptualization of countertransference that encompasses the unique system aspects of inpatient psychiatry is helpful in the care of borderline patients.

Ambulatory Care↗

PubMed1991

Managing countertransference: what the experts think.

The present study attempted to assess the importance of five factors theorized to play a central role in managing countertransference: Self-integration, Anxiety Management, Conceptualizing Skills, Empathy, and Self-insight. 33 experts provided ratings of 50 characteristics of therapists as to the importance of each in managing countertransference. Analysis indicated that each factor is at least somewhat important to management of countertransference, with two of the factors, Self-integration and Self-insight, rated as playing a particularly important role. Clinical implications are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1992

A peer supervision group: put countertransference to work.

1. As the nurse-patient relationship evolves through a series of ongoing interactions, both participants become "known" and stir in each other a range of positive and negative emotional reactions. 2. When working with severely psychologically disturbed patients, the nurse's affective and behavioral response can be valuable clues to understanding the patient's early experiences that contribute to the pattern of relatedness and to the formulation of change, enhancing therapeutic interactions. 3. The goals of the countertransference peer supervision group were to recognize unconscious countertransference reactions; unravel the origin and meaning of those countertransference reactions; and collaboratively develop therapeutic nursing interventions.

Countertransference↗

PubMed1976

[Role of countertransference in complex psychotherapy].

The psychotherapist has a key position in any psychotherapeutic situation, participating in the psychotherapeutic process with all his personality and responding both consciously and unconsciously to the patient and the entire psychotherapeutic system. Countertransference consists of those actions and emotional manifestations on the part of the psychotherapist, which originate from his unconscious strata as a reaction to the overall situation. The existence of countertransference and its possible interference with, and perhaps adverse effect on, the psychotherapeutic process require close scientific and social controls. Also, it will be necessary to make "self-experience" psychotherapy (educational analysis) a required subject. Countertransference also has important perception- and empathy-promoting functions.

Countertransference↗

PubMed1991

Dilemmas and countertransference considerations in group psychotherapy with adult children of alcoholics.

This article will explore special leader issues that emerge in psychodynamically oriented therapy groups with adult children of alcoholics. Particular focus will be on countertransference feelings that get stirred up in group leaders and techniques for dealing with some of these special dilemmas. Specific issues include (a) assumption of sameness between the therapist and the patient (the therapist assuming that he or she "understands" because of having also grown up in an alcoholic family); (b) the "will to restore," which may be destructive when the therapist, whose own self-esteem is dependent on the patient's progress in therapy, forces a "rush to recovery" on the patient; (c) other personal issues in the life of the therapist that may also resonate with experiences of the patient; (d) "countertransference goodness and availability" as it affects therapists' abilities to set reasonable limits on their patients, as well as reasonable expectations for themselves; and (e) special issues regarding therapist transparency and self-disclosure.

Adult↗

PubMed1979

Termination initiated by the therapist: a countertransference storm.

Termination of psychotherapy has been infrequently examined in the literature and often ignored by many training programs. Not only are criteria and techniques for termination not often discussed, but termination as a therapeutic opportunity has been neglected. The authors present two cases of psychotherapy termination initiated by the therapist and point out that countertransference phenomena, potentially destructive, are the major aspect separating psychotherapy termination by mutual agreement and termination initiated by the therapist. Careful, regular, and attentive supervision for therapists in training is essential to counterbalance the intensified countertransference reactions involved.

Adult↗

PubMed1978

Staff countertransference to borderline patients on an inpatient unit.

Borderline patients evoke unique countertransference responses among members of the treatment team: pejorative behavior, undue optimism, and pessimistic nihilism to these patients, along with difficulties in limit-setting, and fragmentation of the treatment team are common. Frequent meetings and open communication within the treatment team are recommended in order to minimize the splitting that is central to these countertransference constellations.

Acting Out↗

PubMed1992

[Importance of countertransference in the initial psychoanalytic interview].

The author points out the responsibilities and difficulties an interviewer faces in the initial psychoanalytic interview and discusses different theoretical positions in dealing with countertransference. Apart from "free floating attention" and "free floating responsiveness" he emphasizes the important diagnostic and therapeutic factor of "free floating introspectiveness". Finally, with a clinical example, he demonstrates that countertransference should already be taking place at the beginning stage of an interview.

Countertransference↗

PubMed1992

Roles played by music as revealed during countertransference facilitated transference regression.

Clinical and experimental investigations have demonstrated that music may serve subtle and complex psychological functions, the sounds per se serving more primitive roles than the themes and lyrics. The present study offers data obtained during the psychoanalysis of a musically talented man who had suffered life-threatening croup and asthma until the age of 5 or 6. Regression that was achieved as the result of interpretations based on the analyst's countertransferential responses revealed that the analysand was unable to achieve psychological separation from his mother and that music served predominantly the function of retaining a life-supporting connexion with her. Presumably as the result of a complex elaboration of respiratory and auditory introjection, music came to symbolize the noise of air-flowing through tubes into the steam tents and blood coursing through the umbilical cord, conceptualized as connecting him with his mother and making them permanently interdependent. The early ego defect was overcome through a transference-countertransference interaction that is delineated in detail. Then, the less primitive meanings and psychological uses of musical themes and lyrics were elucidated, again in response to interpretations based on countertransference reactions.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

The influence of theory on the psychoanalyst's countertransference.

The emotional reaction in the analyst occurs in shared analytic work under the influence of the patient's transference phantasies and is the analyst's creation and contribution. The idea that the analyst has emotions introduced directly into the analyst by the patient such that the analyst contains somebody else's feelings is refuted. Examples have been offered to show how the analyst's working theory influences the countertransference. If the analyst is unaware of this, the analyst may mistakenly attribute negative countertransference to the patient's projection.

Conflict, Psychological↗

PubMed1990

[Transference and countertransference at a therapeutic community for young adult psychiatric patients].

Transference and countertransference especially occur in therapeutic communities. Different forms of transference are described here. Experiences and possibilities to deal with are discussed by the example of the work in a therapeutic community. Results of research are considered as well. Finally the course of treatment of an inhabitant with borderline disorders will be recorded with regard to transference and countertransference.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1975

The role of testicular conflicts in a countertransference reaction.

A case is presented in which a patient's presenting symptoms of impotence and a pervasive inhibition of productivity are dynamically related to a cryptorchild condition which was discovered and treated during childhood. The importance of the cryptorchid condition and its relationship to the patient's later psychopathology are examined. However, it is the therapist's reaction to the clinical material that is the paricular focus of his paper. The therapist obtained the history of cryptorchism in the fifth month of treatment, and then subsequently repressed this data. In addition, a persistent countertransference reaction developed that threatened to disrupt the treatment relationship. In reviewing the course of the therapy, it was possible to determine that the therapist's repression of the patient's cryptorchism and his subsequent countertransference response were directly related to his own repressed testicular conflicts. The implications regarding the existence of similar conflicts in other therapists are discussed.

Anxiety↗