An example of transference behavior is when you feel intense irritation or distrust towards a new coworker because they remind you of a critical parent, projecting unresolved feelings from that past relationship onto your boss. Other examples include falling in love with your therapist (projecting romantic feelings for someone else) or being overly compliant with a new person because they resemble a childhood friend, essentially replaying past relationship dynamics in the present.
Here are three transference examples:
A strong client reaction. One of the most helpful ways to recognize transference is when your client has a reaction in therapy that appears inappropriate for the situation. For instance, say you are discussing your client's behavior in romantic relationships, and they start giving you flirtatious signals.
Therapists must reflect on their strong emotions during client sessions to ensure these feelings don't interfere with therapy. They engage in regular self-reflection to understand their reactions, and consider whether they stem from personal issues.
Transference (German: Übertragung) is a phenomenon within psychotherapy in which repetitions of old feelings, attitudes, desires, or fantasies that someone displaces are subconsciously projected onto a here-and-now person. Traditionally, it had solely concerned feelings from a primary relationship during childhood.
Results Exploratory factor analysis identified five transference dimensions: angry/entitled, anxious/preoccupied, avoidant/counterdependent, secure/ engaged and sexualised.
The development of strong transference is triggered by an unreadable therapist who behaves neutrally, says nothing about themselves and presents presenting without emotional involvement. The patient can freely transfer to the therapist the feelings they have learned with important people (Breuer and Freud 1895).
Sexual Relationships
It is never okay for a therapist to engage in a sexual relationship with a client. Not only do sexual relationships impair the professional performance, but they can also have dire emotional and psychological consequences.
The therapist may be flattered or affected by the transfer of the patient, have a desire to help or punish the patient excessively, avoid it or pamper them (Pope et al.
Countertransference = therapist's reaction based on their own personal feelings. Q: How do you recognize countertransference? A: Emotional surges, dread or excitement about sessions, impulsive urges to over-help or judge those are all signs of countertransference.
By bringing attention to a relational dynamic—such as a tendency to feel disproportionately angry or anxious in certain kinds of interactions—a therapist can try to help a patient understand and address patterns that might contribute to problems outside of therapy.
What to do if you get upset with your therapist
In psychotherapy with a male therapist, a patient might display behavior that is reminiscent of early childhood relationships. A female may become overtly flirtatious with her male therapist and inform her therapist that it would be more comfortable to have therapy at a local restaurant.
Signs of Transference in Therapy
Strong emotional reactions: An individual blows up at another for seemingly no reason, implying that they have buried feelings toward another person. Misplaced feelings: One person tells the other what they want to tell someone from their past, such as “Stop trying to control me!”
A classic example of transference is when a client falls in love with their therapist. However, one might also transfer feelings of rage, anger, distrust, or dependence.
Your therapist will be willing to listen to your feelings and help you work through them, so don't feel ashamed about your emotions towards them. They understand transference is an essential phenomenon in therapy, and addressing it is vital for your healing journey.
Any request for personal favors, suggestive remarks, inappropriate physical contact, or attempts to socialize outside of the professional context are not just therapist red flags—they are definitive breaches of ethics and trust. This relationship is singular, devoted solely to your mental health.
What I Couldn't Tell My Therapist shares the unforgettable stories of three patients in intensive therapy. Michelle, a dedicated psychotherapist, struggles with an addiction to people-pleasing and perfectionism while being tethered to opioids by mysterious chronic pain.
The 2-year rule is APA's way of acknowledging that life holds few absolutes; many continua need to be considered. Thus, the Ethics Code includes an absolute prohibition against sex with former clients for a period of two years following termination.
The seven signs are:
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), unethical behavior by a therapist generally means: Having more than one kind of relationship with a patient: Having a sexual relationship with a patient, for example, is generally considered unethical.
According to the American Counseling Association (ACA), they define abandonment as “the inappropriate ending or arbitrary termination of a counseling relationship that puts the client at risk.” They go on to state that “counselors do not abandon or neglect clients in counseling.
By traumatic transference I mean a kind of transference in which the patient "unconsciously expects that the therapist, despite overt helpful ness and concern, will covertly exploit the patient for his or her own narcissistic gratification" (Spiegel, 1986, p. 72).
If you find yourself frequently getting angry in your intimate relationship and friendships, or if you are overly sensitive, easily offended, and highly reactive, you may be transferring repressed anger from your childhood onto people in your life in the present day.
If not managed well, transference can cause emotional harm to the patient and lead to ethical issues. It can seriously disrupt the therapeutic relationship and might be considered malpractice.