Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T08:33:32.035Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Basic Psychoanalytic Concepts: IV. Counter-Transference

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

J. Sandler ,
A. Holder  and
C. Dare
J. Sandler
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London
A. Holder
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London
C. Dare
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

In previous papers in this series we have discussed two concepts which have been used in connection with aspects of the relationship between the patient and his doctor. These were the treatment alliance (Sandler, Holder and Dare, 1970) and transference (Sandler, Dare and Holder, 1970). Although these two clinical concepts originated within the psychoanalytic treatment situation they are capable of extension outside it. Both relate to and emphasize processes occurring within the patient and tend to stress one side of the relationship only. Even the concept of treatment alliance, although nominally appearing to include the roles of both patient and doctor, has tended to be regarded from the point of view of processes and attitudes in the patient; the aspect of the therapist's attitudes, feelings and professional stance have to a large extent been omitted. However, in recent years more attention has been paid in psychoanalytic and other writings to the relation of the doctor towards his patient. Just as the term ‘transference’ is often used loosely as a synonym for the totality of the patient's relation to his therapist, so is the term ‘counter-transference’ often used in a general sense (both within psychoanalysis and outside it) to describe the whole of the therapist's feelings and attitudes towards his patient, and even to describe facets of normal, non-therapeutic relationships (Kemper, 1966). Such a usage is very different from what was originally intended, and as a consequence confusion has arisen about the precise meaning of the term. It is the purpose of this paper to examine the concept in the light of its origins and development within psychoanalysis and to comment briefly on some possibilities of its extension outside the psychoanalytic treatment setting.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 117 , Issue 536 , July 1970 , pp. 83 - 88
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1970 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Balint, M. (1933). ‘On transference of emotions,’ in Primary Love and Psycho-Analytic Technique. London: Tavistock, 1965.Google Scholar
Balint, M. (1949). ‘Changing therapeutical aims and techniques in psycho-analysis’, in Primary Love and Psycho-Analytic Technique. London: Tavistock, 1965.Google Scholar
Balint, M. and Balint, A. (1939). ‘On transference and counter-transference,’ in Primary Love and Psycho-Analytic Technique. London: Tavistock, 1965.Google Scholar
Cohen, M. B. (1952). ‘Countertransference and anxiety.’ Psychiatry, 15, 231–43.Google Scholar
English, O. S., and Pearson, G. H. (1937). Common Neuroses of Children and Adults. New York: W. W. Norton.Google Scholar
Fliess, R. (1953). ‘Countertransference and counter-identification.’ J. Amer. psychoanal. Assoc., 1, 268–84.Google Scholar
Freud, S. (1909). ‘Analysis of a phobia in a five-year-old boy,’ in Standard Edition, 10, 3–149. London: Hogarth.Google Scholar
Balint, M. (1910a). ‘The future prospects of psycho-analytic therapy,’ in Standard Edition, 11, 139–151. London: Hogarth.Google Scholar
Balint, M. (1910b). Letter to Ferenczi of 6 Oct. 1910, quoted in Jones, E. Sigmund Freud: Life and Work, Vol. 2. New York: Basic Books, 1955.Google Scholar
Balint, M. (1912). ‘Recommendations to physicians practising psycho-analysis,’ in Standard Edition, 12, 109–20. London: Hogarth.Google Scholar
Balint, M. (1913). ‘The disposition to obsessional neurosis,’ in Standard Edition, 12, 311–26. London: Hogarth.Google Scholar
Balint, M. (1915). ‘Observations on transference-love (further recommendations on the technique of psychoanalysis),’ in Standard Edition, 12, 159–71. London: Hogarth.Google Scholar
Balint, M. (1931). ‘Female sexuality,’ in Standard Edition, 21, 223–43. London: Hogarth.Google Scholar
Balint, M. (1937). ‘Analysis terminable and interminable,’ in Standard Edition, 23, 211–53. London: Hogarth.Google Scholar
Gitelson, M. (1952). ‘The emotional position of the analyst in the psycho-analytic situation.’ Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 33, 1–10.Google Scholar
Greenson, R. R. (1967). The Technique and Practice of Psychoanalysis, Vol. 1. New York: International Universities Press.Google Scholar
Heimann, P. (1950). ‘On counter-transference.’ Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 31, 81–4.Google Scholar
Heimann, P. (1960). ‘Countertransference.’ Brit. J. med. Psychol., 33, 9–15.Google Scholar
Hill, D. (1956). ‘Psychiatry,’ in Richardson, J. S. (ed.) The Practice of Medicine, London: Churchill.Google Scholar
Hoffer, W. (1956). ‘Transference and transference neurons.’ Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 37, 377–9.Google Scholar
Kemper, W. W. (1966). ‘Transference and counter-transference as a functional unit,’ in Official Report on Pan-American Congress for Psychoanalysis, August 1966.Google Scholar
Kernberg, O. (1965). ‘Notes on countertransference.’ J. Amer. psychoanal. Assoc., 13, 38–56.Google Scholar
Little, M. (1951). ‘Countertransference and the patient's response to it,’ Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 32, 32–40.Google Scholar
Little, M. (1960). ‘Countertransference.’ Brit. J. med. Psychol., 33, 29–31.Google Scholar
Main, T. F. (1957). ‘The ailment.’ Brit. J. med. Psychol., 30, 129–45.Google Scholar
Money-Kyrle, R. E. (1956). ‘Normal counter-transference and some of its deviations.’ Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 37, 360–6.Google ScholarPubMed
Orr, D. W. (1954). ‘Transference and countertransference: a historical survey.’ J. Amer. psychoanal. Assoc., 2, 621–70.Google Scholar
Reich, A. (1951). ‘On countertransference.’ Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 32, 25–31.Google Scholar
Reich, A. (1960). ‘Further remarks on countertransference.’ Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 41, 389–95.Google Scholar
Sandler, J., Dare, C., and Holder, A. (1970). ‘Basic psychoanalytic concepts: III. Transference.’ Brit. J. Psychiat., 116, 667–72.Google Scholar
Sandler, J., Holder, A., and Dare, C. (1970). ‘Basic psychoanalytic concepts: II. The treatment alliance.’ Brit. J. Psychiat., 116, 555–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sharpe, E. F. (1947). ‘The psycho-analyst.’ Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 28, 1–6.Google Scholar
Spitz, R. (1956). ‘Countertransference: comments on its varying role in the analytic situation.’ J. Amer. psychoanal. Assoc., 4, 256–65.Google Scholar
Stern, A. (1924). ‘On the counter-transference in psychoanalysis.’ Psychoanal. Rev., 11, 166–74.Google Scholar
Tower, L. E. (1956). ‘Countertransference.’ J. Amer. psychoanal. Assoc., 4, 224–55.Google Scholar
Winnicott, D. W. (1949). ‘Hate in the counter-transference.’ Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 30, 69–75.Google Scholar
Winnicott, D. W. (1960). ‘Countertransference.’ Brit. J. med. Psychol., 33, 17–21.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.