ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we present a conception of countertransference that originates from both clinical practice and our research spanning more than two decades. This conception contains elements of each of the four viewpoints presented in chapter 1: the classical, totalistic, complementary, and relational views. At the same time, our conception differs from each of these perspectives. Like the classical view, we believe that countertransference is best seen as rooted in the therapist and his or her inner conflicts and vulnerabilities. However, unlike the classical position, we do not see countertransference as inevitably pernicious, and we also see it in broader terms. For example, countertransference is not just the therapist’s transference to the patient’s transference, but instead includes the therapist’s nontransference reactions to the patient’s nontransference material.
