Understanding Transference In Psychology
Freud first developed this concept as well as the opposite phenomenon of countertransference, which can occur when the therapist projects onto the client. Transference was a transformative concept in psychoanalysis and can still play a role in interactions between therapists and clients today.
Below, we’ll explore the concept of transference in psychology, including the different types of transference and ways in which it can influence a person’s thought processes.
The psychology of transference
Freud described the psychological intensity of the feelings that developed during his own experiences with patients. Freud believed that patient-to-therapist psychological transference occurs unconsciously when the patient transfers their emotions to the therapist.
Freud asserted that the psychology of transference is often related to unresolved concerns occurring in the client’s past. Freud believed that psychological transference could be destructive or helpful during therapy, depending on how the client and the therapist interacted. The client may unconsciously continue the behavior even when it is pointed out to them.
Since Freud, there have been other psychologists who have attempted to describe the psychology of transference. In The Psychotherapy Relationship, Gelso defines psychological transference as “the client’s experience of the therapist that is shaped by his or her structures and past, and involves displacement onto the therapist, of feelings, attitudes, and behaviors belonging rightfully in earlier significant relationships.”
Both definitions concur that the psychology of transference involves experiences from an individual’s past. Psychological transference most often occurs in therapy situations, but there are other types as well. Experts have classified several subdivisions of transference based on how it manifests in an individual’s psychological relationships with others.
Common relationship types affected
Non-familial
This type of psychological transference can occur when individuals treat others according to what they have idealized another person to be instead of who they are. This can happen with any individual who fulfills a role in the person’s life.
Maternal
This kind of psychological transference occurs when an individual treats another person the same way they would treat their mother or another maternal figure. If they have had a positive relationship with their mother, they may reach out to the individual for comfort and love. However, if the individual experienced a negative relationship with their mother, they may have deep feelings of rejection and a lack of comfort and nurturing.
Paternal
Paternal psychological transference is much like maternal psychological transference, except the individual looks at another person in a fatherly role. The individual may expect more than is reasonable of an authority figure or someone who takes on a powerful role. Negative paternal transference, as is the case with negative maternal transference, could bring about strong feelings of rejection and inadequacy, or it could create an unhealthy reliance on another person.
Therapist
In a patient-therapist relationship, transference can be complex. Transference can involve the client’s expectations about how they will behave and feel as well as their expectations of the therapist. The client’s expectations may include love, disapproval, or an entire range of emotions. Clients might even subconsciously behave in a way that produces the reactions they are expecting from the therapist, as a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. This is not considered an exact distortion or a repetition of the past. It is thought to be the client’s interpretation of interactions with the present.
For instance, suppose a client develops romantic feelings toward their therapist, and the therapist does not return those feelings but reinforces the acceptable boundaries between client and therapist. The client may experience the same feelings of hurt, abandonment, or anger as they experienced in past relationships. If the client never comes to understand what is happening, they might not make progress.
Whether the transference is positive or negative, it can be beneficial to therapy in various ways. Positive transference may lead the client to view the therapist as kind, caring, and personally concerned about their well-being. Negative transference may cause the client to re-direct anger, sadness, and other negative feelings toward the therapist.
Either way, the therapist may be able to help the client use these projected emotions to create an understanding of why the transference is occurring. Once the client has a greater understanding of the transference, they may begin addressing the concerns causing the transference and start the healing process. Freud used transference as a tool to understand the client’s subconscious or repressed feelings.
Common communication patterns
There are several ways clients may communicate the transference occurring toward their therapist. The first method is when the client communicates their feelings directly with the therapist. In this case, the client is aware of the transference.
The second method is symbolic. The client may communicate through their experiences or stories, which may portray their perception of the relationship with the therapist.
The third method occurs through the communication of dreams and fantasies experienced by the client. The client may have dreams about the therapist or about their current relationship with the therapist.
The fourth method is enactment, wherein the client takes on a particular role with the therapist. For example, the client may expect the therapist to fulfill maternal needs that were not fulfilled as a child.
Concerns regarding transference
Several serious concerns can occur during transference, as the client’s mental health and relationships can be affected in various ways. One major concern is that the client might not be seeking to build a relationship with an actual person but rather a projected image of one.
Addressing transference
Addressing transference in therapy typically involves more than just talking about events and feelings in the client’s past or current experiences. It is also considered a lived experience. Change can only occur through the client’s re-experiencing and understanding of these processes. Major techniques in addressing transference involve intervention to interpret occurrences and develop explanations for the transference. Interpretation may help the client understand the meaning of the transference that is occurring.
It may help to understand the definition of interpretation in therapy. In therapy, interpretation typically offers an alternative perspective to what is being perceived. The way the therapist interprets it can be just as important as the content of the interpretation. If a correct interpretation is made but conveyed in the wrong way, it may not be therapeutic to the client.
To address transference, the client typically must be made aware of what is occurring. The therapist may need to work to help the client identify the cause of the transference. The therapist may recommend certain techniques, such as the client keeping a journal. This may help the client identify triggering occurrences causing the transference. Through this process of identifying instances of transference, reoccurrences of transference may be prevented or minimized.
A therapist might also educate the client on the identification of situations in which transference may be taking place. This process may require the repetition of events and interpretations of those events over an extended period. This may lead to an understanding followed by a transformation as the client works through their concerns. This process typically requires exploring and then resolving current concerns, such as problems with the client’s current relationships, work, or family of origin. This process of applying what is learned in therapy to other situations is referred to as generalization.
Finding help with therapy
If you think that transference or other mental health challenges are negatively affecting your quality of life, it may help to speak with a licensed mental health professional. If you feel hesitant to sign up for traditional in-office therapy, you might benefit from online therapy. This type of remote treatment can be sought from home or anywhere you have an internet connection. You can connect with a therapist via audio, video, or live chat at a time that works for you.
Research shows that online therapy is effective in treating a variety of mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, phobia, and substance use disorder. A meta-analysis of studies published in the Journal of Technology in Human Services confirmed that there is no significant difference between online therapy and traditional office-based therapy in terms of outcomes.
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Takeaway
What are examples of transference?
Transference in therapy can take a variety of forms. Perhaps the most well-known example is when clients transfer feelings about a parent, derived from early childhood experience, to their therapist.
The effects can vary depending on the patient’s relationship with the parent in question. For example, someone who remembers being afraid of a volatile, temperamental father may imagine similar qualities in their therapist. This could cause them to react with extreme fear to any perceived criticism or disappointment from their therapist. In contrast, a client who saw their father as warm and gentle might transfer their positive feelings of safety, comfort, and trust to their counselor.
Another example of transference could involve a patient displacing their idealized image of a doctor onto the individual treating them. They might expect unrealistic levels of wisdom, skill, and insight from their therapist.
Transference may not be limited to the therapeutic context — people can also misdirect their feelings in everyday life. One common way this happens is the phenomenon of projection, in which a person attributes their own characteristics or behaviors to others. For example, someone who has a problem with aggression may perceive other people as hostile, thus “explaining” why they continually encounter conflict.
In other cases, people might displace feelings from one relationship to another. For instance, if your coworker reminds you of a self-centered and demanding sibling, you might tend to interpret the coworker’s actions as entitled and selfish.
What is countertransference and transference?
In psychotherapy, transference refers to the way a patient’s feelings about their mental health care provider may become confused with their emotions toward other people or ideas. Countertransference refers to a similar process involving the therapist’s feelings about the patient.
Countertransference often involves the treatment provider unconsciously taking on the role that the patient has displaced onto them. When a client continually responds to their therapist as though they’re talking to their overly critical mother, the therapist might be provoked into acting out the mother’s part in the “scene”.
However, the counselor may also incorporate displaced feelings from their own history in countertransference. For instance, if their patient’s defensive behavior reminds them of a family member with a contrarian streak, they may respond to the patient as though they’re arguing with that family member.
What are the five patterns of transference?
Five commonly observed patterns of transference include:
- Paternal transference. The individual sees someone else through the lens of their relationship with their father, or their ideas about what a good and loving father should be. They may expect or perceive qualities like strength, knowledge, or protectiveness. In other cases, they might see the other person as harsh, stern, or emotionally distant.
- Maternal transference. The individual associates feelings about their mother, or an idealized mother image, with someone else. They may look to this person for nurturing, healing, and comfort. Alternatively, they may perceive them as smothering or critical.
- Sibling transference. The individual transfers ideas and emotional responses from their relationships with brothers or sisters to other people. This may involve dynamics of cooperation, affection, rivalry, envy, or abandonment.
- Non-familial transference. The individual displaces expectations from cultural stereotypes or archetypes onto a specific person. For instance, they might expect a clergy member to be perfectly selfless, moral, kind, and wise, rather than being able to see them as an ordinary person.
- Erotic transference. The individual’s positive emotions about a relationship become mixed up with their romantic or sexual feelings, leading to sexual attraction to the other person. This may also be referred to as sexualized transference.
What is the transference effect in a relationship?
Transference can have a variety of effects on interpersonal relationships. Many people have had the experience of “confusing” their current partner with an ex. This may lead to misunderstandings and hurt feelings. It can be upsetting when, for example, someone whose past partner was unfaithful seems to be constantly expecting you to cheat.
Others may bring feelings from family relationships into their interactions with other people. If they were constantly fighting for attention from a distant father, they might come across as needy or attention-seeking to others in their life. Or, if they frequently clashed with a sibling growing up, they might act out similar conflicts in adult relationships.
What are the three types of transference?
Many experts break down psychotherapeutic transference into three main types:
- Positive transference. This involves the client developing positive feelings toward their therapist, such as trust, respect, and admiration. They may view their treatment provider as extremely caring and understanding or knowledgeable and insightful.
- Negative transference. This means that the client has associated negative feelings with their counselor, perhaps viewing them as controlling, aloof, arrogant, or ignorant. They may exhibit withdrawn or rebellious behavior such as starting contentious arguments or refusing to engage during therapy.
- Sexualized transference. Transference of sexual feelings can and often does occur within therapy. A client who feels heard and understood by their treatment provider may develop a romantic or sexual attachment in response. “Eroticized transference” can occur when these sexual feelings become overly intense or the patient does not recognize that they are inappropriate, disrupting the therapeutic relationship.
What are the signs of transference?
In many cases, the first obvious indicators of transference in mental health treatment are sudden changes in mood, behavior, posture, or topic during a session. If a patient appears to be eager to change the subject or abruptly becomes resistant to further discussion, it may suggest that therapy has touched a nerve.
From the patient’s perspective, an overly strong emotional response to a therapist may be the key sign of transference. It’s understandable for strong feelings to arise when discussing sensitive subjects in therapy. However, if those feelings are directed at the therapist, it could be a sign that you’re experiencing transference.
Thinking of your counselor as a friend, loved one, or potential romantic partner rather than someone providing you with medical treatment could also be a sign of transference. The same thing could be true if you find yourself responding to them as though they’re an enemy or a demanding boss.
What is an example of countertransference?
A common example of countertransference involves a therapist projecting feelings about their children onto the client. Because the patient is coming to them for help, the care provider might develop a protective and nurturing attitude that taps into their strong parental feelings. This could be even more likely if the patient is transferring their feelings about their parents to the therapist.
How do therapists deal with transference?
For many treatment providers, the first step in managing transference is to identify and acknowledge it. Once a therapist recognizes that transference is occurring, it can become a valuable therapeutic tool. The feelings the patient is expressing may offer important insights into their thought processes and emotional life.
When strong transference feelings arise, the therapist will usually try to help the client recognize what they’re feeling and think about what it means. They’ll generally empathize with the patient’s emotions while encouraging them to reflect on where they come from.
In many cases, the thoughts and feelings that occur during instances of transference relate to the difficulties that led the individual to seek therapy. Talking through them may help the patient recognize the roots of their symptoms and behaviors.
Therefore, even “negative” transference feelings like anger, suspicion, or fear may turn out to be helpful in the therapeutic process. In some types of psychodynamic therapy, analysis of transference and countertransference may be a core therapeutic technique.
At the same time, a mental health professional may need to clearly and firmly articulate the professional boundaries of the relationship. If a patient’s transference-related emotions lead them to cross these boundaries repeatedly, and they persist when reminded to stop, the therapist may need to discontinue treatment.
Therapists often must also be attentive to their own thoughts and behaviors so that they can recognize countertransference if and when it occurs. If the provider suspects that their feelings about the patient are clouding their judgment, they may need to consult with another experienced therapist or refer the client to someone else.
What is projection vs transference?
In psychological terms, projection refers to an unconscious mental process in which a person mistakenly sees aspects of their own personality, behavior, or feelings in someone else. Often, but not always, this may serve as a way to avoid acknowledging those elements in oneself.
Projection is one way that transference can occur in psychotherapy. The patient may attribute their own difficult emotions, counterproductive behaviors, or psychological distortions to the therapist.
Is gaslighting the same as projection?
Gaslighting and projection refer to different psychological phenomena. In psychological literature, gaslighting is a form of abuse in which one person attempts to convince another to distrust their own perceptions and judgment. This tactic can reduce the survivor's ability to recognize the other person’s behavior as abusive, while also causing them to feel weak and dependent on the abuser.
In some cases, gaslighting may involve elements of projection. For example, an abusive romantic partner who is unfaithful may accuse their partner of infidelity, thereby deflecting attention from their own actions. Projection is not usually considered an essential element of gaslighting, though.
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