Transference: Meaning, Types, Benefits, Risks & Uses in Therapy

Transference is used in psychotherapy to describe a therapeutic situation between a patient and his/her therapist.

Read along to learn more about this phenomenon in detail, its types, symptoms, emotions involved and more. Also, you will get an overview of the types of psychotherapies used for transference.

Transference is a concept used in psychology to represent phenomena in which a person unknowingly transfers feelings and emotions from one individual to another. For example, this procedure may occur in psychotherapy when a patient projects expectations or feelings toward another individual onto the psychologist and starts communicating with them as if they were that person.

There are eight classifications of transference –

• Positive Transference: Positive transference occurs when a client transfers positive feelings from previous relationships to the therapist, such as respect, trust, or love.
• Negative Transference: This type transmits unfavourable feelings to the therapist, such as mistrust or hatred. However, negative transference can be an effective therapeutic strategy.
• Sexualized Transference: In this case, the client feels romantically attracted to or attracted sexually by the therapist due to feelings from previous relationships.
• Sibling Transference: This transference primarily deals with the emotions that come from the bond between siblings. So, for example, an illustration would be feeling guarded toward a younger companion because of a previous bond with a younger brother.
• Maternal Transference: Clients who experience maternal transference view the psychotherapist as a maternal figure. Also, the patient's bond with their mother will determine whether this is favourable or bad.
• Paternal Transference: Like maternal transference, a patient views their psychotherapist as a paternal figure. Furthermore, the patient's bond with their father will determine the transfer of good or negative feelings.
• Non-Familial Transference: This transference is the process through which one person projects feelings onto another based on an idealised perception of that other person's function. For instance, a patient can perceive a priest as holy or a librarian as highly knowledgeable.
• Countertransference: Mental health professionals must be conscious of the risk that they may pass their emotions and personal struggles on to the client. Hence, counter transference is a process that can besmirch the therapeutic alliance.

The typical symptoms of transference include:

• Emotions that come across as excessive or unrelated to the subject of discussion
• Showing the therapist your feelings of love or lust
• Expressing rage or upset feelings or emotions aimed at the therapist

Transference may include both positive and negative emotions:

Positive Emotions

Among those positive emotions include –

• Idealisation
• Attentiveness
• Love
• Attachment
• Affection

Negative Emotions

Besides this, negative emotion includes –

• Disappointment
• Anger
• Frustration
• Fear
• Hostility
• Frustration

There are no causes behind transference that are backed by scientific studies. However, a few factors that might cause it include:

• The mannerisms of the therapist
• Look of the therapist
• The degree to which the therapist concurs with the client
• How vigorously the therapist disagrees with the patient's opinions
• The duration of the patient's treatment by the therapist
• The voice of the therapist

The risk of developing transference might increase in two instances. Those are –

• A client's risk of transference may increase if they feel compassionate. This may include when dealing with a terminal illness that jeopardises their self-worth and self-control.
• Secondly, in-person counselling may be more likely to experience transference compared to online therapy.

Transference can be "treated" when the doctor utilises it in the treatment process. This way, your doctor can assist you in putting an end to the diversion of feelings and emotions, and also, you'll make an effort to assign those feelings appropriately.

The aim of therapy is for you to feel at ease speaking openly and honestly with the therapist. So, you might need to find a new therapist if transference interferes with your capacity to communicate with your current therapist.

Also, if transference blocks that approach's implementation, it will hamper the treatment's effectiveness. Hence, consider consulting a second therapist regarding the transference. After that, you can go back to your original therapist and continue with the work you were doing before transference became an issue.

In therapy, transference could happen accidentally. Hence, feelings towards a sibling, parent, or spouse are transferred to the therapist by the patient. Also, it might be purposeful or prompted. So, your counsellor may actively collaborate with you to uncover these emotions or conflicts. This way, it will be easier to observe and comprehend a patient's feelings.

Irrespective of the situation, the therapist will always inform the patient when transference occurs. In this manner, you can comprehend how you're feeling. Regardless, the conditions where a therapist intentionally uses transference include –

1. Transference-Focused Psychotherapy

This type of treatment is typically brief and depends on the therapist's capacity to accurately identify and resolve a patient's issues.

In transference-based psychotherapy, the patient's problems contain feelings or ideas concerning someone else, and the therapist may intentionally strive to make them uncomfortable with that information.

2. Dynamic Psychotherapy

A patient and therapist may use transference as a therapeutic strategy in dynamic psychotherapy.

3. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Your therapist might employ CBT if you're willing to consider how your past has influenced your current troubles. Moreover, CBT teaches you to comprehend your old behaviours to replace them with new, healthier ones.

To prevent and manage your transference, you can follow four methods –

1. Stay Calm

First, you need to realise that transference is a common occurrence. So, you are not "mad" for finding your therapist attractive or connecting them to your father. Hence, it is crucial to express these emotions and have a joint conversation about them.

2. Analyse its Impact

It's acceptable to consult a different therapist if you believe that your emotions are impeding your growth with your current doctor. Also, this is crucial if you are undergoing goal-based therapies like CBT because you need to be able to focus solely on your problem at hand.

3. Be Patient

Try to give it time if you're having trouble escaping from your thoughts and feel stuck with your current therapist. Furthermore, your feelings should start to fade when you are honest with your doctor about them.

4. Stay Practical

Your doctor needs to be ready to understand how they differ from the primary target of your feelings. However, it can be a coincidence that you think your therapist sounds just like your mother but doesn't look like her. Hence, your ability to dial down your emotions will increase as you become more aware of differences.

A few of the benefits of transference include the following:

• It can improve our understanding of who we are and how we interact with others. Hence, this can help us build better connections with other people.
• We can address unexpressed old feelings through transference psychology therapy, which can make us feel better about ourselves and our mental health.
• Therapy using transference psychology may be beneficial for improving our self-awareness. So, transference may help us bring practical improvements to our lives.
• Transference psychology therapy may assist us in fostering stronger bonds with others. This may aid in enhancing our general well-being.

Hence, transference may be used in psychotherapy on purpose by therapists to comprehend your viewpoint or issues. However, it may also happen accidentally. Also, because of the parallels, you might notice similarities between your therapist and another person in your life and attach either positive or negative feelings to them.