Transference
Transference is a psychological concept that involves the projection of unresolved feelings and past experiences onto current relationships or situations. This phenomenon is particularly significant in psychotherapy, where clients might unconsciously transfer emotional patterns from previous relationships—often with parents or caregivers—onto their interactions with therapists. Sigmund Freud first introduced the term in the context of psychoanalysis, where he designed techniques to elicit these transference reactions, allowing for a deeper exploration of clients' unconscious issues.
Transference can manifest as either positive or negative feelings and is seen as a natural information-processing strategy, especially during times of stress or fatigue. However, it can lead to distortions in how individuals perceive current situations, hindering their ability to respond appropriately. Furthermore, the concept of countertransference refers to therapists' emotional reactions to clients, which can impact the therapeutic relationship positively or negatively. Awareness of both transference and countertransference is crucial for therapists, as understanding these dynamics can enhance the effectiveness of therapy and promote clients' emotional healing.
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Transference
Transference is a concept in psychology that refers to an individual’s unresolved past feelings and issues that are evoked by and projected onto a present situation or relationship. In psychotherapy, transference most often refers to the client’s tendency to project past relational issues onto the present relationship with the counselor. Counselors are trained to identify the transference reactions of their clients in order to better understand clients’ everyday interaction patterns and the unconscious emotional issues that are affecting the client’s current functioning and well-being.
Overview
The term transference was first applied to psychotherapy by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud (1856–1939). Early psychoanalytic techniques, such as strict nondisclosure of the therapist’s personality and personal life, were specifically designed to encourage transference reactions in order to force clients to make assumptions about the therapist based solely on their own past experiences and relationships. The therapist could then analyze and discuss these transference reactions with the client to determine the unconscious and unresolved issues that prevent the client from objectively perceiving the present.
Transference reactions may be either negative or idealized, and they often derive from an individual’s primary attachment relationship (typically a parent or caregiver). For example, a therapist’s probing questions may evoke memories of a distrusting or invasive parent and elicit a backlash from the client.
Transference occurs both in the clinical setting and in everyday relations. Transference is considered a natural information-processing strategy that enables individuals to extrapolate and apply what they already know to a present situation. Research has shown that transference reactions become more pronounced when individuals are tired or stressed, indicating that transference can be a useful shortcut when individuals process new information.
However, transference reactions become problematic when they negatively affect interactions with new people and situations. Individuals with strong transference reactions are typically unable to differentiate between current experiences and past relationships. Transference can lead to distortions in perception of the present reality, which then contributes to an inability to develop more appropriate responses in new situations.
The related concept of countertransference refers to the reactions and responses of the counselor toward a client based on the counselor’s unresolved emotional issues. Although countertransference can be a useful tool in strengthening the relationship between a client and a counselor, it can also be unhealthy and disruptive to the therapeutic process. Therapists with strong countertransference reactions may become angry or anxious at hearing a client’s concerns and either rush the client toward resolution prematurely or quash the conversation to avoid their own negative feelings. Counselors are encouraged to be aware of transference and countertransference reactions and to understand their own unresolved issues and vulnerabilities so they can then identify and objectively utilize transference to further a client’s therapeutic goals.
Bibliography
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Howes, Ryan. “A Client’s Guide to Transference.” Psychology Today. Sussex Directories, 18 June 2012. Web. 8 Oct. 2013.
Jaffee, Catherine Tellides, et al. “The Manifestation of Transference during Early Psychotherapy Sessions: Exploring an Alternate Data Source for Therapist Narratives in Transference Research.” Counselling and Psychotherapy Research 12.4 (2012): 257–66. Print.
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Oelsner, Robert. Transference and Countertransference Today. Hove: Routledge, 2013. Print.
Przybylinksi, Elizabeth, and Susan M. Andersen. “Making Interpersonal Meaning: Significant Others in Mind in Transference.” Social and Personality Psychology Compass 6.10 (2012): 746–59. Print.
Wiener, Jan. The Therapeutic Relationship: Transference, Countertransference, and the Making of Meaning. College Station: Texas A&M UP, 2009. Print.