ABSTRACT
At first the terms ‘transference’ and ‘countertransference’ can be
confusing. They refer to concepts that were used specifically in
psychoanalysis, and then more generally in those psychotherapeutic and
counselling practices which have developed out of psychoanalysis. When
the trainee has little practical experience of working with clients these
terms tend to be used indiscriminately, and sometimes defensively. The
term ‘transference’ may be used to distance therapists from the intensity of
the therapeutic encounter, and the term ‘countertransference’ as a way of
defending against feelings stirred up in us, the therapists, which may be
connected with our own difficulties rather than those of our clients. It is
important to understand what we mean when we use these terms.
