Countertransference (German: Gegenübertragung),[1] originally described by Sigmund Freud in 1910, refers to a therapist's unconscious feelings influenced by their patient.
[2] While Freud mainly saw countertransference as a personal issue for the therapist, his private correspondence indicates a deeper interest and understanding of its complexities.
[12] In the 20th century, the perspectives of Carl Jung, Heinrich Racker, and Paula Heimann significantly enriched the understanding of countertransference in psychotherapy, each contributing unique insights into its role and impact.
This period marked a shift from viewing countertransference merely as an interference to recognizing it as a critical part of the therapeutic process and a potential source of valuable insights.
Jung explored the idea that a therapist's own emotional wounds and experiences contribute to their ability to empathize with and heal their patients.
He famously used the metaphor of the "wounded physician," suggesting that a therapist's personal suffering and healing journey can deepen their understanding and effectiveness in treating others.
Racker believed that the unacknowledged countertransference becomes entangled in what he called "the mythology of the analytic situation," implying that it can create a false narrative or dynamic in the therapeutic relationship.
This era acknowledged the clinical usefulness of countertransference, underscoring the need to differentiate between reactions that provide insights into the patient's psychology and those reflecting the therapist's personal issues.
This distinction highlights the dual nature of countertransference: it can stem from the therapist's personal experiences or be a response to the patient's behavior and psychological needs.
By reflecting on their responses and differentiating between their personal feelings and those elicited by the patient's behavior, therapists can gain valuable insights into the therapeutic dynamic.
[20][21][22] Contemporary understanding recognizes that most countertransference reactions are a mix of personal and diagnostic aspects, requiring careful discernment.
Researchers at NUI Galway and University College Dublin have developed a scale to measure these responses, shedding light on the somatic aspects of countertransference in therapeutic settings.