Both patients and psychotherapists can experience strong emotional reactions towards each other in what are termed transference and countertransference within therapy. In the first part of this review, we discuss transference issues. Although not usually part of the obvious language of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), examination of the cognition. Both the literature and our experience underscore the importance of careful and open examination of both transference and counter-transference issues in CBT and their necessary incorporation in the complete management of all patients undergoing CBT.s related to the therapist, is an integral part of CBT, especially in working with difficult patients. In the second part, we cover countertransference issues. We describe schematic issues that give rise to therapist counter-transference and explain how this interacts in different types of patient therapist encounter. We also examine ways in which the therapist can use CBT to help him/her modify the countertransference and, in the process, assist the patient.

Our work studied the self-reflection about transference and counter-transference in 52 cognitive behavioral therapy students and practitians using both qvalitative reseach (structure interview) and quantitative approache (using questinnaire). Differences between students of CBT who start the training, before finish the traning and CBT supervisors are analyzed.

This paper was supported by the research grants IGA MZ ČR 10301-3/2009