ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author discussed the significance of countertransference from a cognitive-behavioral approach. Since cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on technical factors rather than relational ones, this may suggest that countertransference has little therapeutic value or that it simply does not occur when using such treatment modality. Although countertransference is deeply rooted in psychodynamic theory, countertransference occurs in all therapeutic relationships regardless of treatment modality. This has paved the way for expanding the cognitive-behavioral understanding of countertransference and viewing it as a recurring phenomenon, resulting in more literature being written on the subject. One factor that may have minimized the importance of countertransference within cognitive-behavioral therapy is semantics as cognitive-behavioral theorists prefer the use of theory-specific language as a way of separating countertransference from its psychodynamic origins. Whereas psychodynamic approaches emphasize the importance of the alive and active unconscious inner world based on early relations and how past experiences influence future ones, cognitive-behavioral therapy stresses the importance of material close to the surface and relatively close to the present, focusing on the here and now as opposed to influences from the patient’s past. Cognitive-behavioral techniques are also considered to be more standardized and formulaic as opposed to other approaches, making the therapist’s vulnerabilities and internal conflicts less relevant to treatment. This belief, however, has evolved over time, with a new school of thought emerging that stresses the importance of the therapist’s role in treatment. The author also discussed the origins of countertransference from a cognitive-behavioral perspective by discussing the role of schemas in countertransference reactions while also categorizing four maladaptive schemas that have been found to influence the course of treatment (i.e., demanding standards schema, abandonment schema, special superior person schema, need for approval schema). Although cognitive-behavioral literature continues to minimize the therapist’s internal experience, countertransference is brought on by these internal experiences, leading to a distorted view of the patient, and selective attention to patient material depending on how it related to the therapist.
