transference

Transference is a universal phenomenon: “Because all of us bring our unique histories, ego functioning, superego mandates, fantasies, and fears into all relationships, nobody perceives anybody without some distortion. In all interpersonal relationships nonrational, subjective factors are present.” –p. 109, Essentials of Psychoanalysis, by Herbert S. Strean.

“The more rigorous definition is that transference is a state of mind of a client toward the therapist, and it is produced by displacement onto the therapist of feelings and ideas that derive from previous figures in the client’s life.”—p. 203, The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy (5th ed.), by Irvin Yalom.

“A major task of every therapist, psychoanalysis asserts…is to help patients see how and why they experience the therapists the way they do. Why does one patient argue with the therapist almost every time the latter says something? Why does another patient act like a compliant child and accept almost everything the therapist says?”—p. 110, Strean.

Strean goes on to point out that the transference may not necessarily relate directly to earlier experiences of the patient, but may be a fantasy of the patient’s regarding someone the patient needs, such as the way a parent should have been.

Irvin Yalom (an analytically trained but mostly existential psychiatrist), in his classic group therapy text, echoes what Strean said about the importance of clarifying aspects of transference for patients, to help them to stop distorting the way they see and interact with others. Certain things can increase transference, such as when the therapist is sort of a mystery or blank screen to the patient, and other things can decrease it, such as when the therapist discloses her own reactions more in therapy. Yalom is very interested in the benefits of being more transparent to clients, in helping them to reduce the distortions they have, and has written a lot about it. He views group therapy as being all about this, and his definition of transference includes the distortions between group members:

“Transference distortions between group members can be worked with as effectively, and perhaps even more effectively, than transference reactions to the therapist.” –p. 205, Yalom.

However, Yalom is careful to point out that sometimes people’s reactions to each other and to the therapist are based in reality. If your client is angry with you or in love with you, it may be at least in part because of real things that you are doing (and so that is worth carefully scrutinizing and is also a reason why therapists better damn well know themselves and how they may tend to act out their own issues).

These are the kinds of nuances to conducting psychotherapy that make it an engaging and sustaining endeavor.