Introduction To Countertransference In Therapeutic Practice

While transference has been fully described in the literature, countertransference has been viewed as its ugly sibling, and hence there are still not as many reflective accounts or guidance for trainees about how to handle difficult emotions, such as shame and envy and conflict in the consulting room. As a counterpoint, this book provides an integrative guide for therapists on the concept of countertransference, and takes a critical stance on the phenomenon, and theorising, about the "so-called" countertransference, viewing it as a framework to explore the transformative potential in managing strong emotions and difficult transactions. With an explicit focus on teaching, this book informs therapeutic practice by mixing theories and case studies from the authors' own clinical and teaching experiences, which involves the reader in case studies, reflection and action points. Countertransference is explored in a wide range of clinical settings, including in reflective practice and in research in the field of therapy, as well as in art therapy and in the school setting. It also considers countertransference in dream interpretation, in the supervision and teaching environment and in work with groups and organisations. Introduction to Countertransference in Therapeutic Practice offers psychotherapists and counsellors, both practicing and in training, a comprehensive overview of this important concept, from its roots in Freud’s work to its place today in a global, transcultural society.

One of therapy's greatest challenges is the moment of transference, when a patient unconsciously transfers emotion or desire to a new and present object in some cases the therapist. During the course of treatment, a patient's projections and the analyst's struggle to divert them can stress, distort, or contaminate the therapeutic relationship. It may lead to various forms of enactment, in which the therapist unconsciously colludes with the client in interpretation and treatment, or it can lead to projective identification, in which the client imposes negative feelings and behaviors onto the therapist, further interfering with analysis and intervention. Drawing on decades of clinical case experience, Robert Waska leads practitioners through the steps of phantasy and transference mechanisms and their ability to increase, oppose, embrace, or neutralize analytic contact. Operating from a psychoanalytic perspective, he explains how to cope professionally with moments of transference and maintain an objective interpretive stance within the ongoing matrix of projective identification, countertransference, and enactment. Each chapter discusses a wide spectrum of cases and clinical situations, describing in detail the processes that invite a playing out of the patient's phantasies and the work required to reestablish balance. Refreshingly candid, Waska recognizes the imperfections of analysis yet reaffirms its potential for greater psychological integration and stability for the patient. He acknowledges the limits and frequent roadblocks of working with difficult patients, such as those who suffer from psychic retreat, paranoid phantasies, and depressive anxieties, yet he indicates an effective path for resetting the clinical moment and redirecting the course for treatment.

This introduction to countertransference in counselling and psychotherapy covers: Countertransference and the therapeutic relationship Different theoretical perspectives and approaches to countertransference and key psychodynamic perspectives (Freud, object relations, attachment, relational psychodynamic) and perspectives from other modalities (TA, integrative, CBT). How to understand and work with countertransference in practice (providing step-by-step guidance on identifying, understanding, and managing / processing countertransference.) The development and repair of therapeutic ruptures in the alliance Cultural countertransference. Written for trainees and practitioners from a range of psychotherapeutic approaches, this book is supported by reflective practice activities, research, case studies, chapter summaries and chapter summaries. It will help you enhance your knowledge and practice in relation to countertransference.

Erotic Transference and Countertransference brings together, for the first time, contemporary views on how psychotherapists and analysts work with and think about the erotic in therapeutic practice. Representing a broad spectrum of psychoanalytic perspectives, including object relations, Kleinian, Jungian and Lacanian thought, the contributors highlight similarities and differences in their approaches to the erotic in transference and countertransference, ranging from love and sexual desire to perverse and psychotic manifestations. Erotic Transference and Countertransference offers ways of understanding the erotic which should prove both useful and thought-provoking.

Clinical Approaches to the Erotic Transference and Countertransference brings together, for the first time, contemporary views on how psychotherapists and analysts work with and think about the erotic in therapeutic practice.

Music is everywhere in our lives and all analysts are witness to musical symbols arising from their patient's psyche. However, there is a common resistance to working directly with musical content. Combining a wide range of clinical vignettes with analytic theory, Kroeker takes an in-depth look at the psychoanalytic process through the lens of musical expression and puts forward an approach to working with musical symbols within analysis, which he calls Archetypal Music Psychotherapy (AMP). Kroeker argues that we have lost our connection to the simple, vital immediacy that musical expression offers. By distilling music into its basic archetypal elements, he illustrates how to rediscover our place in this confrontation with deep psyche and highlights the role of the enigmatic, musical psyche for guiding us through our life. Innovative and interdisciplinary, Kroeker’s model for working analytically with musical symbols enables readers to harness the impact of meaningful sound, allowing them to view these experiences through the clarifying lens of depth psychology and the wider work of contemporary psychoanalytic theory. Jungian Music Psychotherapy is a groundbreaking introduction to the ideas of Archetypal Music Psychotherapy that interweaves theory with clinical examples. It is essential reading for Jungian analysts, psychotherapists, psychoanalysts, music therapists, academics and students of Jungian and post-Jungian studies, music studies, consciousness studies, and those interested in the creative arts.

The therapeutic relationship is considered to be the most significant factor in achieving positive therapeutic change. As such, it is essential that trainee and practising therapists are able to facilitate a strong working alliance with each of their clients. This book will help them do just that, by offering a practical and evidence-based guide to all aspects of the therapeutic relationship in counselling and psychotherapy. Cross-modal in its approach, this book examines the issues impacting on the therapeutic relationship true to all models of practice. Content covered includes: - The history of the therapeutic relationship - The place of the therapeutic relationship in a range of therapy settings, including IAPT - Concepts and practical skills essential for establishing and maintaining a successful working alliance - The application of the therapeutic relationship to a variety of professional roles in health and social care - Practice issues including potential challenges to the therapeutic relationship, working with diversity and personal and professional development - Research and new developments Using examples, points for reflection and chapter aims and summaries to help consolidate learning, the authors break down the complex and often daunting topic of the therapeutic relationship, making this essential reading for trainee and practising therapists, as well as those working in a wider range of health, social care and helping relationships.

Using the Transference in Psychotherapy centers around two dominant themes: the "old" vs. the "new" models of transference, and the role of transference in psychotherapy. As background the book provides an historical overview of transference, countertransference, and the therapeutic alliance. A number of detailed cases are provided, graphically demonstrating how transference is addressed in psychotherapy and briefly focusing on projective identification and enactment. This book is a must-read for both students and mental health professionals at the early stages of their careers, and a useful reference for more experienced professionals.