Transference and Countertransference Essay Sample
Client-counselor relationship is an extremely significant constituent of all kind of therapy. It’s major importance is emphasized in exertion with abuse survivors due to the nature of the caused injury by the abuse. Essentially, the traumatizing harm was caused by a person in close relationship to the client, whom she depended on, and had received protection and care. Therefore, counseling relationship is instrumental in the provision of necessary support to the client in order to work through and address issues related to mistreatment while modeling a non-exploitive healthy relationship (Walsh, 2010)
Mostly, people assess expectations against the present reality, and regulate these expectations consequently. However, in various cases, like when one is overwhelmed by high anxiety, it emerges to be more difficult, and one may tend to cling in defense to our presumptions. Transference results from a phenomenon whereby an individual transfers attitudes and feelings from a different person or situation that happened in the past, to an individual or situation that is happening in the present. In other words, it refers to the issues and feelings form past episodes that client’s project onto the counselor in the present healthy relationship.
Generally, clients’ developing sexual attraction towards their therapists, has been viewed as not to belong to the category of the highest risks due to the fact that, therapists are well equipped with skill and knowledge acquired from various trainings on how to manage such situations. However, the feeling of such a client should be handled with a lot of care as they usually result in damaging everything that was concerned. Clients come with their everyday distortions and responses of life into the relationship with the counselor, who in return, as a profession, is able to recognize the issues interfering with their daily functioning. Transference reactions usually have precise implications for clients’ who survive childhood abuse; who might perceive counselors as abandoning or threatening just as their perpetrators, while others actually idealize the counselor, viewing him as loving and warm.
On the other hand, if a client discloses erotic feelings, therapists ought to work out the various impulses in a manner preserving professional boundaries, as well as protecting the self-esteem of the client. It is likely that one may hurdle into interpretations of such unconscious subject as it may seem a safe way to follow, though it might feel as an embarrassment for the client, who in return has just gathered up the courage to reveal his or her innermost emotions. Additionally, therapists should always bear in mind that clients’ direct expression of erotic feelings, does not usually mean that they want them to be proceeded to; rather, it could show a sense of dependency. Hence, if clients make any disclosure of erotic feelings, it is always wise to enquire why and how they see achievement and fulfillment in regard to the request of help as this will prevent misinterpretation. This should be followed by a discussion on the reasons why conceding to the request would not be their preeminent interests. On addressing this issue, it ensures that focus of both the client and therapist, exclusively, remains on an orientation that is caretaking (Corey et al., 2011).
Consequently, if a client continues to show aggressive seduction, the therapist should present a more acquiescent approach, for instance, letting the client know that therapy entails an exclusive talking relationship. This should be followed by a discussion about why the behavior the client is imposing is inappropriate. It is very hard when a client has exceptionally, strong romantic or sexual interests towards the counselor due to the fact that, it radically limits various interventions accessible to that therapist. Therefore, under such circumstances, the finest course of action would be to refer the client to a more experienced therapist (Racker, 1982).