Transference
Transference is a psychology term used to describe a phenomenon in which an individual redirects emotions and feelings, often unconsciously, from one person to another. This process may occur in therapy, when a person receiving treatment applies feelings including romantic feelings toward—or expectations of—another person onto the therapist and then begins to interact with the therapist as if the therapist were the other individual. Often, the patterns seen in transference will be representative of a relationship from early childhood or past experiences. There are however several different forms of transference that can occur.
The concept of transference was first described by psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud in his 1895 book Studies on Hysteria, where he noted the deep, intense, and often unconscious feelings that sometimes developed within the therapeutic relationships he established with those he was treating.
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Transference is a common occurrence among humans, and it may often occur in therapy, but it does not necessarily imply a mental health condition. Transference can also occur in various situations outside of therapy and may form the basis for certain relationship patterns in everyday life.
Some of the more common types of transference include:
Sometimes, transference is seen in everyday situations, such as when:
Transference may be positive or negative emotional reactions. Both types can benefit therapy in different ways. Positive transference can lead the person in therapy to view the therapist as kind, concerned, or otherwise helpful and create positive feelings. Negative transference might cause a person in therapy to direct angry , painful , or negative feelingstoward the therapist, but the therapist may still be able to use these emotional responses to help the person achieve greater understanding.
A person’s social relationships and mental health may be affected by transference, as transference can lead to harmful patterns of thinking and behavior. The primary concern is generally the fact that, in the case of transference, an individual is not seeking to establish a relationship with a real person, but with someone onto whom they have projected feelings and emotions.
When transference occurs in a therapy session, a therapist may be able to better understand an individual by gaining knowledge of the projected feelings and, through this new understanding, help the person in therapy achieve results and recovery. By understanding how transference is occurring, a mental health professional may be better able to understand both a person’s condition and/or aspects of the person’s early life that affect them in the present.
Transference may often occur between a therapist and a person in therapy. For example, the therapist may be viewed as an all-knowing guru, an ideal lover, the master of a person’s fate, a fierce opponent, and so on. Proponents of psychoanalysis believe that transference is a therapeutic tool crucial in understanding an individual’s unconscious or repressed feelings. Healing is believed to be more likely to occur once these underlying issues are effectively exposed and addressed.
A therapist might also educate a person in treatment on the identification of various situations in which transference may be taking place. Techniques such as journaling can allow a person in therapy to identify possible patterns in both thought and behavior, through the review and comparison of past entries. When examples of problematic transference become more recognizable, a person in therapy may be able to explore why the transference occurs and help prevent its recurrence.
One type of therapy known as transference-focused therapy (TFP) harnesses the transference that occurs in the therapeutic process to help individuals gain insight into their own behavior and thought patterns. It is most commonly used to treat borderline personality (BPD).
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Last Updated: 09-25-2019
WHAT IS TRANSFERENCE?
TYPES OF TRANSFERENCE
TRANSFERENCE IN THERAPY
Last Updated: 09-12-2023
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Williamkilm
May 6th, 2016 at 11:29 AMSay, you got a nice article.Really looking forward to read more. Awesome.
Rinki L.
October 15th, 2016 at 7:05 PMThis is very clear to understand and learning purpose, fruitful for therapist as well as student.
Rodney
December 14th, 2016 at 2:31 PMCan transference also happen with a personal trainer?
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