ABSTRACT
The subject of countertransference disclosure is an important, complex, and highly debated matter. The passion that is brought to this debate is best understood as an historical outgrowth of earlier disagreements about the existence and usefulness of countertransference material. The question of disclosure to the patient of the therapist’s experience of the therapeutic interaction challenges both theoretical and technical understandings of the therapeutic process. In the present chapter, we shall review the central issues of countertransference disclosure, their evolution over time, and the accompanying theoretical and technical implications. Finally, we shall present criteria that can be helpful to the clinician in distinguishing between useful and disruptive communications of countertransference material.
