ABSTRACT
From the view of intersubjectivity theory, transference is viewed as a manifestation of a person's `unconscious organizing activity' which is shaped by archaic perceptions of self in relation to others and unconsciously organizes a person's subjective perceptions of the world (Stolorow et al., 1994: 10). A therapist will be in¯uenced by her own personal history and by her knowledge base in psychological therapy, which in turn will in¯uence the material that she chooses to emphasize in the process with the client. We cannot escape our own histories and what is crucial for the therapist is to re¯ect carefully on her work and be alert to her own patterns and how they may adversely affect the therapeutic process. These re¯ections will involve careful attention to countertransferential responses. What Stolorow et al. stress is the inextricable relationship, the `system of reciprocal mutual in¯uence', operating between the client's transference and the therapist's countertransference. Two sets of organizing principles will always be in operation to create a unique interaction when two people interact. The one cannot be understood without attention to the other in the context of the relationship.
