What is transference?

[Cat Dancer]

What exactly does this mean? Can you get well in therapy without it?

Is it when you transfer feelings that you have for other people onto your therapist? I wonder what happens if you don't really do that?

 

[ladylore]

Hi Janet,

Because of the nature of the client/therapist relationship there will naturally be situations come up in therapy that remind you of a situation in your family origin...and the client will unconsciously project those feelings on to the therapist.

For example, feeling close to your therapist because you share intense feelings with him/her. You may feel your therapist is your best friend. It naturally happens. One needs to remember however that their therapist can't really be their friend - see you socially as she/he needs to remain objective to assist you.

In turn, counter transferance is the opposite way. Therapists are human too and it is a kind of relationship, of a different sort. I know when I was do crisis counselling, what some clients told me affected me and I inturn needed to deal with my own feelings with my supervisor/co-workers.

Counter Transference is seen in a positve light these days...as I said before we are all human and all just trying to get by in the world.

Hope this helps

Oh, I really do love the dancing kitty.

Ladylore