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Countertransference refers to the emotional responses that therapists have toward their clients that are grounded in the therapist’s own past experiences and circumstances. Because it can have such an impact on the counselling environment and the therapist patient relationship, it’s important for therapists to understand its origins, how to recognize it, and how to guard against its effects while on an in person or online therapy session.
Countertransference refers to feelings that a therapist has about their client or their client’s situation. Countertransference is one of the most powerful forces in psychotherapy, but it can also be one of the most confusing and problematic, as it’s something that happens not just between you and your patient, but within you—the therapist.
Simply put, countertransference refers to the unconscious emotions and reactions we feel toward our patients and their mental health issues that are triggered by our own problems or personal history. These feelings are often complex and conflicting, but they help us to understand our patients better while simultaneously presenting us with problems of their own.
What Is the Difference Between Transference and Countertransference?
The terms countertransference and transference were coined by Sigmund Freud. Transference refers to a patient transferring feelings or thoughts about an important person from his or her past onto someone else. Countertransference is defined as when a therapist transfers feelings about a patient from his or her own past onto someone else. Because these concepts are common in psychoanalytic therapy, all therapists need to be aware of them.
One issue that is often discussed in relation to countertransference is whether or not it’s a bad thing. Some say that countertransference should be avoided at all costs because it will likely prevent us from helping our clients, but there are also those who argue that being aware of our countertransference can allow us to be better counselors.
To make things even more confusing, some practitioners believe there is a time and place for countertransference responses—with proper supervision and support. The real takeaway from all of these different perspectives is that it’s important for professionals working with patients on personal issues to be self-aware and alert enough when dealing with their own emotions so they don’t have an adverse effect on their patient's progress.
If you’re a therapist, you know that countertransference reaction—your own emotions and reactions to your client—is one of the trickiest aspects of your work. Sometimes it can help your client; other times, it can seriously hinder his or her progress.
That’s why it’s essential to be able to identify the common signs of countertransference so you can either manage them or use them to your client’s advantage. So, what is an example of countertransference? Here’s what you need to look out for:
If you find yourself feeling defensive, that could be an indication that you’re experiencing countertransference. For example, if a client relays a story about an overbearing father and you start to feel like you’re being criticized, it might have more to do with something from your own experience than the situation the client is describing.
Another potential sign of countertransference is feeling like you need to protect your patient. One of the most valuable aspects of personal therapy is being able to challenge your clients and encourage them to make progress. If you find yourself coddling a patient and trying to shield them from failure, there’s a chance you’re experiencing countertransference.
If you’re in the middle of a session with a patient and you experience a strong, unexpected emotional reaction, you may be dealing with countertransference. This response could be practically anything such as fear, anger, shame, jealousy, joy, pride, or attraction. Having these emotions crop up unexpectedly likely indicates that your patient said or did something that triggered something from your past, causing countertransference.
Is there a client that you dread seeing? Do you feel uncomfortable during your sessions but you’re not sure why? If there’s one particular client who makes you feel uncomfortable, you might want to examine the cause of this feeling—it could be that there’s something in their demeanor that brings up different types of trauma for you and might cause signs of therapist burnout.
Do you ever find yourself sharing too much information with one client in particular? Do you let them in on more of your life than other patients? If so, this could be a warning sign that you’ve transferred subconscious positive and negative feelings onto that person. You need to reestablish healthy boundaries so you can proceed in an appropriate professional manner.
A lack of boundaries is another sign you may be experiencing countertransference. For example, if you find yourself looking up information about a client online or allow them to communicate with you on social media, you’re not setting healthy boundaries. Your willingness to a cross boundaries in this way could indicate you’re placing too much significance on the relationship through countertransference.
Being too critical of a patient could also indicate that you’re experiencing countertransference. For example, if your client is relaying a problem they had and you find yourself judging their behavior or blaming them for their problems instead of being neutral on the issue, you may be dealing with countertransference.
On the opposite side, you may also be dealing with countertransference if you feel yourself being too sympathetic toward a patient. For example, if you find yourself identifying too strongly with the patient or feeling like you wish you could “save” them, you might be projecting your own past experiences and emotions onto that client.
Another indication that you’re struggling with countertransference is if you find yourself providing overt advice to your client. As a therapist, you know that your job is to remain objective and help patients come to their own conclusions. Providing overt advice could indicate that you’ve become a little too invested in the situation due to countertransference.
A large part of your job as a therapist is asking your clients questions to draw out information, help them reflect, and uncover insights into their behavior. But asking questions can be a sign of countertransference if your questions are inappropriate and probe into mental health issues the client doesn’t want to address. If you find yourself being overly curious about a patient and asking unnecessary questions, it may be an indication of subjective countertransference.
If you find yourself harboring any romantic feelings toward a client, this may be an indication that you’re experiencing countertransference. For example, maybe your client reminds you of your college sweetheart; it’s not the person you’re counseling that’s actually inspiring those feelings—it’s just unresolved emotion from your past that’s coming into play.
When you look at these signs and examples of countertransference, you’ll notice that there’s a common thread running through them all: an emotional reaction that’s spurred by something inside of you but then transferred onto your patient. While this can lead you down a dangerous path if left unchecked, it is possible to deal with these reactions and prevent them from interfering with your client’s personal therapy session.
The key to overcoming countertransference is being aware of it. Therapists can use their knowledge and awareness of what makes them tick as a tool for understanding why they react certain ways during sessions, or don’t know how to react when dealing with a particular patient. With awareness comes control over behavior, which will result in better and more efficient practices.
For example, if a therapist knows that he’s uncomfortable with criticism from his patients because he grew up getting criticized at home, he can set boundaries around that reaction. He can ask for clarification about how much criticism a patient means before taking personal offense; if necessary, he can take an impromptu break so that he doesn’t get triggered into an argumentative back-and-forth session.
There may be times when you have trouble overcoming your countertransference issues. If so, it’s best to work with your own therapist to resolve latent issues and find a workable solution. The sooner you deal with whatever problems from the past are triggering you during sessions, the better off you—and your patients—will be.
As a professional therapist, the hope is that you’ll be able to work past any issues you may have with countertransference so you can better serve your clients. Of course, the reality is that there may be some patients that you’re simply not well-suited to work with. If that’s the case, be honest and let them know they’d be better served by seeing another therapist. If you don’t have a specific therapist in mind to refer them to, you could recommend they use a matching service like Advekit to find a qualified therapist in the area.
Though countertransference can seem like a problem for therapists and it may be uncomfortable at times, being aware of and working through it can lead to more effective psychoanalytic therapy. The best way you can tell when you have countertransference is by observing how you feel while with a certain client. If you experience countertransference, recognize it and resolve the issues with the help of your own therapist so you can better serve your patients.
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