Transference in psychoanalysis refers to the unconscious redirection of feelings and desires from one person to another, typically occurring in the context of the therapeutic relationship between a patient and a psychoanalyst. This phenomenon was first described by Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, as a way to understand and work through unconscious conflicts and emotions that emerge in the therapeutic relationship.
In psychoanalysis, the therapist serves as a blank slate or "mirror" onto which the patient projects their feelings and thoughts. This process allows the patient to explore and work through their unconscious feelings, thoughts, and memories in a safe and controlled environment. The therapist helps the patient to recognize and understand these projections, and to identify and work through the underlying emotional conflicts.
Transference can take many forms, such as feelings of love, hatred, or anger towards the therapist, or the experience of the therapist as a parent, sibling, or romantic partner. These feelings and desires are not necessarily based on the therapist's actual characteristics or behavior, but rather reflect the patient's unconscious needs and conflicts.
One of the main goals of psychoanalysis is to help the patient recognize and understand their transference, and to work through the underlying emotional conflicts. This can be a difficult and sometimes painful process, as it requires the patient to confront and work through unresolved emotional issues from their past. However, it can also be a deeply transformative and healing experience, as it allows the patient to gain insight into their unconscious thoughts and feelings and to learn new ways of coping with their emotions.
Overall, transference is a central concept in psychoanalysis and plays a crucial role in the therapeutic process. By understanding and working through transference, patients can gain insight into their unconscious thoughts and feelings and learn new ways of coping with their emotions, leading to greater self-awareness and emotional well-being.
Key Concepts in Psychoanalysis
Sometimes, free association with different dream elements is used in the process. Healing is believed to be more likely to occur once these underlying issues are effectively exposed and addressed. The therapist uncovers the disguised meanings by interpreting symbols in the manifest content of the dreams in order to reach an understanding of the latent content, therefore serving as a pathway to repressed material. Department of Psychology at the University of Kentucky. We can recognize transference psychology by stubborn resistances to letting go, something we see in the case example below. If left unchecked, a therapist can get too emotionally involved with their client and can result in boundary violations or acting out their frustration, impatience or being overly nourishing, all of which end up neglecting the therapeutic frame.
The Psychoanalytic Theory of Transference in Therapy
Such wishes are actively kept from conscious awareness by defensive processes but their influence remains active in less direct and obvious forms. During sessions therapists may point out to the client where resistance occurs and towards which subject matter. Please review the ACCME Accreditation Statement This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education ACCME through the joint providership of American Psychoanalytic Association and the Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research. For more about implicit and explicit boundaries, Good treatment is where the therapist can be compassionate, caring and skillful, while also being clear about and maintaining strong boundaries. Sigmund Freud held that transference plays a large role in male homosexuality. If this occurs, the therapist would encourage the individual to freely express themselves and whatever comes to mind, typically either by writing or talking.
It must not be supposed, however, that transference is created by analysis and does not occur apart from it. Is Transference Good or Bad? It is used to uncover unconscious desires or intense emotions that have been blocked by the client. A therapist may go about treating the individual's resistance through methods of encouragement and direction toward this unconscious material. But what is transference? As Jung said, you have to make the patient realize the subjective value of the personal and impersonal contents of his transference. It is important to bring these two concepts together and to realize that transference is a special case of projection—at least that is how I understand it. Jane says 'hole,' and Bob says 'endless.
Sigmund Freud: An Autobiographical Study - 1925. If the client is displaying odd behavior, the psychologist may conduct an analysis of transference, helping them communicate better with the client in the future. It is hard to understand what psychotherapy is or come up with a clear, concise definition for psychotherapy. That means something realizing supraordinate within yourself that can support, contain, and nurture you throughout your life. These techniques are intended to increase awareness and foster insight into the client's behavior.
What is the psychoanalytic theory of transference?
Analysis of Transference and Resistance Occasionally psychoanalysis techniques involve the therapist paying attention to what happens during their interactions with the client. This is something that they can explore further in therapy. As an adult, he imposed that strict code on himself. Of course, everybody is free to use the term in his own way. She suddenly became aware of an entirely heathenish image that comes fresh from the archetype. The Mother within longs for you to realize her as an inner value.
What is Psychoanalysis? The Purpose of Psychoanalysis
This happens because our defenses are lowered when we sleep. Psychoanalytic therapy may last anywhere from two to fifty sessions. Transference occurs when a person redirects some of their feelings or desires for another person to an entirely different person. Or maybe your devils act out whenever you feel jealousy towards someone. Get your paper price 124 experts online When people meet a new person that reminds them of someone else, they unconsciously infer that the new person has traits similar to the person previously known. However, not all is good in positive transfer. This technique allows uncensored speaking which brings subconscious thoughts to the surface.
He was going to commit suicide by walking into the Pacific Ocean. Analysis and interpretation of transference allows the client to understand the effect of subconscious material on current relationships. When we put the two images together, we can see that the unknown value is somehow related to her animus. Next we will see what happens when the transference provokes positive emotions towards the therapist, and when the feelings produced are negative. These are systems, not parts of the brain, or in any way physical.
You know she was a little infant, she was sitting on my knees, I held her in my arms. Thus, the recovery of the person will occur more quickly. When anything in the complexive material in the subject-matter of the complex is suitable for being transferred on to the figure of the doctor, that transference is carried out; it produces the next association, and announces itself by indications of a resistance - by a stoppage, for instance. Positive transfer In the case of being positive, the transference makes the patient want to please his therapist in everything, since he will feel very attached to him. The Challenges With Transference When a client has an unmet relational need that might have been critical to his or her development, a therapist may temporarily take the place unconsciously of that critical role or dynamic from the past. I am also available through Skype or Zoom worldwide. Over and over again, when we come near to a pathogenic complex, the portion of that complex which is capable of transference is first pushed forward into consciousness and defended with the greatest obstinacy.
We seek to understand the aim of the transference for the individual who has a transference, not its biographical references. Sigmund Freud: An Outline of Psychoanalysis - 1940. This content is called manifest content, which is how the dream actually appears to the person who is dreaming. Too many people over simplify transference psychology, as if it were something that could be resolved with reason, intelligence, or sheer will power, or if one is a therapist, then with the proper technique. We can easily recognize it as the same dynamic factor which the hypnotists have named 'suggestibility', which is the agent of hypnotic rapport and whose incalculable behaviour led to difficulties with the cathartic method as well.
An example of short-term psychoanalytic treatment may include weekly meetings with a psychoanalyst in which goals will be set. He also could not see what it was he was trying to bury. Individuation is the process by which we integrate the unconscious aspects of our personality, whether we are talking about complexes, shadow elements, or the anima and animus. Sexualized transfer In the most extreme cases of transference, the feelings harbored by the therapist may be romantic or sexual in nature. However, sexualized transference can also be quite helpful to the therapist who knows how to use it.
