COUNSELING PROCESS:Transference & Counter-transference

<< COUNSELING PROCESS:The Initial Session, Counselor-initiated, Advice Giving

THEORY IN THE PRACTICE OF COUNSELING:Timing of Termination >>

Theory and Practice of Counseling - PSY632

Lesson 21

COUNSELING PROCESS

Initial Resistances

Resistances may be broadly defined as anything that gets in the way of counseling.

Resistances can be present at any stage of counseling.

Most clients are ambivalent when they come for counseling. At the same time as wanting change, they

may have anxieties both about changing and about the counseling process, for instance, talking about

themselves. Some clients come reluctantly: for example, 'problem' children sent to school counselors

for disrupting class.

Sullivan (1954) observed cultural resistance in non-medical counseling. Sullivan (1954) observed that

there were cultural handicaps to the work of the psychiatrist. These 'anti-psychiatric' or `anti-counselor'

elements in the culture can also lead to resistances in non-medical counseling. Such culturally

handicapping norms include: people ought not to need help.

Other cultural thinking errors contributing to resistances are that people who need helping are 'sick and

that you should be able to solve all problems by 'common sense'. A study about Pakistani people's

perceptions about those seeking medical or psychological help showed that people seeking help for

depression were perceived as less intelligent, sociable, kind, etc (Suhail & Anjum, 2004).

Sometime resistance could be as a consequence of poor counseling skills or models. Counselors may

wrongly attribute the sources of clients' resistances by being too quick to blame them for lack of

cooperation and progress which may actually be the consequence of poor counseling skills, for

example, not listening properly. Furthermore, some counseling models, especially if incompetently

applied, may engender resistances: for instance, the lack of structure of the person-centered counseling

or the didactic nature of the rational emotive behavior counseling. Clients may resist counselors whose

behavior is too discrepant from their expectations and perceived requirements

Counselors also bring resistances to their work, for example, fatigue, and burnout. One counselor

mentioned that once he counseled a 59-year-old female client whose manipulative manner triggered

anxieties in him because she reminded him of how his mother sometimes controlled how he should feel

and think when a child.

The following tables illustrate how different restraining and driving forces could interplay in resistance.

Theory and Practice of Counseling - PSY632

Ta ble 1: "Driving " a nd "Restraini ng" forces

Restraining Forces

Driving Forces

How to deal with Initial Resistances?

· Use non-judgmental listening to convey understanding: By using good active listening skills, you do much to

build the trust needed to lower resistances.

· Communicate acceptance of client's unwillingness to change: Rather than justify yourself or allow yourself to

be sucked into a competitive contest, one approach to handling such aggression is to reflect.

· Join with clients.

Example of joining with clients:

Client: I think coming here is a waste of time. My parents keep picking on me and they are the ones who

need help.

Family Counselor You feel angry about coming here because your parents are the people with problems.

Client: Yes (and then proceeds to share his/her side of the story).

Just showing clients that you understand their internal viewpoints, especially if done consistently, may

diminish resistances. For instance, counselors can initially listen and offer support to children expressing

resentment about parents. In the above instance you can focus on parental deficiencies prior to, possibly,

focusing the client back on himself or herself. You use your client's need to talk about parental injustices to

build the counseling relationship.

The above are just some ways of working with resistances and reluctance. Counselors need to be sensitive

to the pace at which different clients work. Clients who feel pressured by counselors may become even

more resistant. Furthermore, if attacked prematurely and clumsily, clients may reinforce their defenses.

When dealing with client resistances, counselors require sensitivity, realism, flexibility and tact.

· Discuss reluctance and fears

In the following example, a parole officer responds to a juvenile delinquent's seeming reluctance to disclose

anything significant.

Counselor: I detect an unwillingness to open up to me because I'm your parole counselors. If I'm right, I'm

wondering what specifically worries you about that.

Theory and Practice of Counseling - PSY632

· Invite cooperation

Initial statements by counselors aim to create the idea of a partnership, a shared endeavor in which clients

and counselors can work together to attain goals.

· Enlist client self-interest

It helps clients to identify reasons for participating in counseling. `What are your goals in the situation?' and

`Wouldn't you, like to be more in control of your life?'

Reward silent clients for talking.

Transference & Counter-transference

These are concepts as old as Freud. Transference and counter-transference are issues that affect all forms

of counseling, guidance, and psychotherapy.

Transference:

· Transference can be direct or indirect and it is the client's projection of past or present feelings,

attitudes, or desires or relationships onto the counselor. It originally emphasized the transference of

earlier emotions, but today it is not restricted to psychoanalytic therapy and may be based on current

experiences.

According to Gelso and Carter (1985), all counselors have a transference pull, which is an image

generated through the use of personality and a particular theoretical approach. The way counselor

speaks, looks, gestures, or sits may trigger a client's reaction.

Cavanagh (1982) describes that transference can be either direct or indirect. Direct transference is well

represented by the example of the client who thinks of the counselor as his/her mother. Indirect

transference is harder to recognize. It is usually revealed in client's reactions and behavior.

Transference can be both negative and positive. Cavanagh (1982) considers both as forms of resistance.

Corey at al. (1993) sees a therapeutic value in working through transference. Mild or indirect positive

transference is less harmful. Corey believes that the relationship improves once the client resolves

distorted perceptions about the counselor. It is reflected in client's increased trust and confidence in the

counselor.

Counter Transference

Cavanagh maintains that to resolve transference the counselor may work directly and interpersonally rather

than analytically, called counter transference. It is the counselor's projected emotional reaction to or

behavior towards the client. It can take on many forms, from a desire to please the client, to wanting to

develop a social or sexual relationship with the client, to identify with the problems of the client so much

that one loses objectivity, giving advice compulsively, etc. (Corey et al., 1993) . When this happens,

supervision or counseling for the counselor is called for.

Three approaches to counter transference:

Negative

Positive

Both positive and negative

Counter transference refers to negative and positive feelings towards clients based on unresolved areas in

counselors' lives. Intentionally or unintentionally some counselors use both involving and information self-

disclosures to manipulate clients to meet needs for approval, intimacy and sex.

Theory and Practice of Counseling - PSY632

Watkins (1985) identifies four forms of counter transference:

o Overprotective

o Benign

o Rejecting

o Hostile

The first two are examples of identification, while the rest show misidentification. This highlights the

importance both of awareness of your motivation (for example, a counselor was aware that a 59-year-old

female client's manipulative manner triggered anxieties in him because she reminded him of how his mother

sometimes controlled how he should feel and think when a child) and also of behaving ethically.

Working through counter transference

Some pointers in effectively dealing with transference or client's reactions to you are:

o Be willing to examine your own reactions

o Monitor your own counter transference

o Seek supervision or consultation with difficult cases

o Avoid blaming or judging the client

o Avoid labeling clients

o Demonstrate understanding and respect

The following table describes attitudes of both client and counselor in different transference patterns.

Table 2: Patterns of Transference (Watkins, 1983)

Transferring Pattern

Client Attitude

Counselor Attitude

Ideal

Idealizes, imitates, hungry Feels pride; angry

for presence

Seer

Views counselor as expert, Feeling of al- knowing; self-

asks advices

doubts

Nurturer

Profuse emotions, sense of Sympathy, urge to touch;

fragility

depression

Frustrator

Cautious; distrustful

Uneasiness, anger

Nonentity

Topic shifting

Feeling of being used, lack

of recognition

To understand transference, a counselor must focus on client's expectations, need for advice, dependence,

trust building, establishing contact and getting behind client's barriers.

Termination of Counseling Relationships

· Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes; hello begins at birth and good-byes end at death.

· Refers to the decision, one-sided or mutual, to stop counseling (Burke, 1989)

· A formal termination serves three functions:

o Signals that something is finished: Many theorists assume that termination will occur naturally and

leave both clients and counselors pleased.

o Termination is a means of maintaining changes already achieved and generalizing problem-solving

skills

Theory and Practice of Counseling - PSY632

Serves as a reminder that the client has matured. It indicates that the counseling is finished and it is

time for the client to face their life challenges. The client has matured and thinks and acts more

effectively and independently.

Termination of a Session

There is no great secret to ending sessions. There are some guidelines:

· Start and end on time.

· Leave 5 minutes or so for a summary of the session.

· Introduce the end of the session normally ("Our time is coming to a close").

· Assign homework.

· Set up next appointment.

· Limit the number of sessions.

Limiting the number of sessions can facilitate termination. Counselors and client both are motivated by the

knowledge that the counseling experience is limited in time.

Termination of the Relationship

· Termination is the end of the professional relationship with the client when the session goals have been

met.

· Generally, both client and counselor should give each other verbal messages about a readiness to

terminate.

· It is wise to spend the final 3-4 weeks discussing termination in a relationship lasting more than 3

months (Hackney & Cormier, 1994).

· One-sixth of the time spent in a counseling relationship should be devoted to focusing on termination

(Shulman, 1979). For example, if there are total 18 sessions, 3 can be devoted to mentioning about

termination.

· Two ways to facilitate the ending (Dixon & Glover, 1984):

o Fading is gradual decrease reinforcement for behaving in certain ways.

o To help client develop successful problem-solving skills.

Table of Contents: