ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the impact of the therapist’s transference, as differentiated from the therapist’s countertransference. The author posits that depending on the therapist’s response to their discovery, the therapist’s transference can either be a threat to the patient’s therapeutic wellbeing, or can afford the patient an opportunity for growth and a path to empowerment. In this instance, self-discovery is the task of the therapist in response to the patient’s efforts to manage the challenge posed by the therapist’s transference—a challenge amplified because of the power differential, both real and perceived between the two participants, not unlike the one that existed between the patient and the parent. The author uses case material and his own personal history to discuss the interweaving of the therapist’s transference with the patient’s countertransference, and the patient’s efforts to bring this to the therapist’s attention. The chapter addresses issues the therapist contends with, including the therapist’s character, transferential blindness, and disclosure, in relation to other therapeutic elements such as the patient’s trust in the process and empowerment. The author reflects on patient parameters that might influence the therapist’s choice to navigate these issues.
