Personal Triggers Assignment | Essay Help Services
Psychotherapies – Week 2 – Replies to Personal Triggers Discussion.
Instructions:
- Reply the following classmates’ discussions comparing and contrasting my own viewpoints to my peer’s post. (I am attaching my peers discussions, along with my own discussion so it can be used for this assignment).
- The replies must include evidence-based research to support the statements using proper citations and APA (7th edition) format.
- Each replay must contain 250-300 words.
- Use 3-4 Bibliographic sources within 5 years.
REPLY TO THIS PEER DISCUSSION****
Discussion Post Week 2
Week 2 Discussion: Personal Triggers
BY LILIAN
In psychoanalytic theory, transference according to Sigmund Freud is defined as the patients’ way of transferring their feelings from significant persons in their lives, toward their therapist or psychoanalyst (Reidbord, 2010). Countertransference happens when a psychotherapist’s feelings is redirected toward a patient either positively or negatively (Corey, 2017; Murphy, 2013). Countertransference when negatively expressed can impede effective treatment outcome (Hayes, Gelso, Goldberg & Kivlighan, 2018). It is imperative for therapists to examine themselves and ensure that no trace of countertransference is resident in their feelings so as to be more productive during treatment session (Murphy, 2013; Reidbord, 2010). When psychotherapist finds it difficult to deal with personal issues, this sometimes leads to display of reactions that can negatively impact therapy outcome (Hayes, Gelso, Goldberg & Kivlighan, 2018; Reidbord, 2010). Countertransference feeling is often enthused by certain features in the patients such as resemblance to loved one. Sometimes its stirred up by unrelated prior experiences with previous patients or past encounters in life (Reidbord, 2010).
Some topic areas that have the potential to trigger countertransference for me include domestic violence and abuse especially against the elderly and vulnerable population. Over the years of practicing as a healthcare professional, I have been able to identify my triggers which sometimes is stirred up just by hearing a pathetic story of someone maltreating and taking advantage of an innocent and vulnerable individual. In managing my countertransference, I always try to give every individual the benefit of doubt and try not to jump into conclusion about whatever story I must have read or heard about them in order to have an open mind to hear them out, be able to make my own analysis of the situation and ascertain for myself how true or false the story about that person might be. This often produces a positive outcome in situations that I have dealt with in the past as a provider. It is always good to grant a listening ear to everyone willing to open up about their life, there will surely be one or two things to learn or understand differently about each person. Unrecognized countertransference can be dangerous as the therapist finds it difficult to put his or her emotions under check which can adversely affect effective treatment (Reidbord, 2010).
References
Corey, G. (2017). Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy (10th Edition). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning
Hayes, J. A., Gelso, C. J., Goldberg, S., & Kivlighan, D. M. (2018). Countertransference management and effective psychotherapy: Meta-analytic findings. Psychotherapy, 55(4), 496–507. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000189
Murphy, S. N. (2013). Attending to countertransference. Counseling Today. Retrieved from
https://ct.counseling.org/2013/09/attending-to-countertransference/
Reidbord, S. (2010). An overview of countertransference. Psychology Today. Retrieved from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sacramento-street-psychiatry/201003/overview-countertransference
REPLY TO THIS STUDENTS POST ****
Week 2 Discussion 1: Personal Triggers
POST BY: RICHARD
Professor, and Class
What are some specific topic areas that have the potential to trigger countertransference for you?
One issue that may trigger for me negative countertransference is when I see an individual treating his/her mother improperly. It has happened to me where the person is displaying negative views or points towards his/her mother. But I have always turned it into positive countertransference where I share proper behaviors to treating his/her mother for the patient. I have never had any time where I have dealt with any patient population or any patient that has turned into negative countertransference. I try to leave my own personal issues to the side without having to affect the care I give to any patient. I work with the SMI population and I do not think there is ever been a point where I have had an occasion of having negative countertransference. I do for sure use positive motivational interviewing as a main source of action in every patient interaction I have when I am trying to enroll patients in the SMI program Case Management source.
How can you identify your triggers and potential reactions to manage your own countertransference as a therapist?
Countertransference can be classified as negative and positive countertransference. Negative countertransference can be a detrimental factor if you are using it towards your patient. But there is the phenomenon of positive countertransference which can add valuable insight into the patient’s view or perspective of a given issue when used in the therapy modality.
In my own identifying factors in relation to countertransference I do not use any type of negative countertransference in the patients I deal with in the SMI program I work for. On the contrary I try to use positive countertransference to motivational interviewing to the patient population I serve. I try to relate positive outcomes in my own life and use it to motivate or develop positive thoughts or actions into the patient population I serve. Therefore, I do not think there is any negative countertransference in my own self that can transfer into any patient population I serve.
In psychoanalytic theory, how is transference and countertransference defined?
According to Marini (2026) psychoanalysis is the therapy approach for the treatment of emotional issues, and it involves the patient using open communication with a psychoanalyst. Transference in psychoanalytic therapy is when the patient uses past feelings or emotions from childhood and is transferred to the therapist. Countertransference in psychoanalysis is the opposite of transference it is when the therapist transfers feelings to the patient based on past experiences. Countertransference has two distinctions it can be positive or negative countertransference depending on the therapist and the thought process involved. Countertransference also depends on the feelings or the emotions the therapist is processing, the feelings or emotions can be negative or positive (Martini., 2016).
References
Carlat, D. J. (2017). The psychiatric interview. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer.
Corey, G. (2016). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Martini, S. (2016). Embodying analysis: the body and the therapeutic process. The Journal of Analytical Psychology, 61(1), 5–23. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5922.12192
This was my discussion for the initial assignment.
Personal Triggers-Transference and Countertransference
What are some specific topic areas that have the potential to trigger countertransference for you?
Some of the particular topics that have the potential to trigger countertransference for me include eating disorders, family members that are combatting a disease, or a family member passing away. Coming from a very close Hispanic family, we all have a sense of belonging, I can relate with a patients that are very in tune with their families and effected by sufferings of others. My fears of aging and the memories of my grandmother are a common source of interference in the psychodynamic psychotherapy associated with older patients (Carlat, 2012). The elderly trigger countertransference due to the development of feelings I have related to losing my grandmother. Growing up I suffered with Binge Eating Disorder. A patient experiencing an eating disorder is a potential trigger of countertransference in me because they will evoke feelings since I know what that is like mentally. In this case, due to self disclosure there was the potential of triggering countertransference because of various behaviors, including self-disclosing on my part and developing overly irrelevant interest (Hayes et al., 2018)
Other areas that have the potential of triggering countertransference in me include having to deal with a patient who is experiencing personal trauma. Trauma is a condition of extreme amount of stress that is often more than the ability of an individual to cope involved emotions in a given experience (Hayes et al., 2018). In such cases, I often experience feelings of guilt because I have never been in such similar situations that the patient is experiencing. The other topic area that triggers countertransference in me is a patient who is expressing personal beliefs and preferences that are differing from my own, including homophobic and racist perceptions. This is because I firmly believe that it is illegal and not moral to treat individuals differently due to their cultural background or race (Piedfort-Marin, 2018).
Countertransference is often triggered by the practitioner’s internal conflicts that remain unresolved since it is a reaction that is transferred to the client unconsciously. There is a transfer of the past into the present that occurs. However, the unresolved internal conflicts always relate to the primary triggers of countertransference known as archetypes. Considering therapy is interpersonal, it draws from the practitioner and the client, transcultural patterns of interaction that come from there past (Schaeffer, 2020). The transfer depends on the cultural beliefs of the therapist and client. There can also be instances where the practitioner has experienced some of the same issues that the person they are treating has gone through. This can trigger issues and can also allow the practitioner to be more empathetic with the patient whether they decide to share their story or not.
Identifying Triggers and Potential Reactions to Manage Countertransference as a Therapist
Numerous ways that countertransference can be identified include getting involved in self-disclosure and a variation of behaviors. By having an improper interest in details that are not relevant during the therapy of a patient can also be a sign of countertransference. If a therapist acts overly sympathetic or engages in behavior that is not appropriate, countertransference can be managed ineffectively. Other clues include providing judgment coming from individuals own life, becoming angry at an opinion that one expresses. Other traces of countertransference include acting overly sympathetic to the patient, providing judgments on situations and individuals from one’s life, without depending on one’s opinions, or even becoming angry or upset regarding a belief or idea that one expresses (Wheeler, 2013).
As a therapist, it is imperative to be able to identify these reactions and manage countertransference when it first takes place. Attend to transference patterns of the patient, what they are feeling right from the beginning, follow their anxieties, and the feelings beneath it (Wheeler, 2013). The therapist can also undertake self-reflection, which leads to the development of coaching supervision and an inner supervisor to assist in resolving internal conflicts and decreasing coach anxiety. It is possible to identify the triggers by first detecting the transference by the client through various signs. Also, the therapist ignoring his or her mistakes and the effect they have on the behavior of the patient could indicate this countertransference (Wheeler, 2013). Also, the occurrence of thoughts and images during the session is another sign. Both the negative and positive transference can be problematic, thereby requiring interventions (Hayes et al., 2018).
A practitioner needs to maintain a delicate balance to manage the countertransference. The balancing requires that the client take the primary responsibility for his or her age-appropriate growth and development. It does not matter the need to give them some control during therapy. An essential tool in this case is the use of motivational interviewing involving the client talking himself or herself into the desired change (Miller & Rollnick, 2012). It ensures the client is intrusive or detached. Also, documenting the therapy sessions in clinical notes will help in management, and any arising issues could require further consultation. There is an expectation of competent, ethical, and timely treatment from both the client and his or her family.
Definition of Transference and Countertransference in Psychoanalytic Theory
Psychoanalytic theory defines transference as when a patient projects the feelings, attitudes, or emotions they always had for someone in their past, mostly someone in their childhood, to their therapist (Pérez-Rojas, 2017). For instance, sexualized transference occurs when one falls in love with their therapist leading to the transfer of both positive and negative feelings such as dependence, anger, or rage (Wheeler, 2013). Negative attitudes of transference can result in withdrawal and sullen tendencies for the client during a session. Also, the progress of the therapy impedes, and the transference becomes an obstacle. However, it can also shed light on the issues affecting the client.
As for countertransference, it mirrors transference referring to the transfer of the internal conflicts of the practitioner to the client. Countertransference entails behavioral, cognitive, and emotional responses because of patient factors, dynamics contained in therapy relationships, or experiences in life that are inevitable (Wheeler, 2013). Therefore, it is characterized by the feelings, attitudes, or thoughts of a practitioner resulting from a past relationship or figure in the client projects during therapy. It can act as a significant obstacle to the relationship between the practitioner and the client during therapy.
References
Carlat, D. J. (2012). The psychiatric interview: A practical guide (4th ed.). LWW.
Hayes, J. A., Gelso, C. J., Goldberg, S., & Kivlighan, D. M. (2018). Countertransference management and effective psychotherapy: Meta-analytic findings. Psychotherapy, 55(4), 496-507. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000189
Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2012). Motivational interviewing: Helping people change (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
Pérez-Rojas, A. E., Palma, B., Bhatia, A., Jackson, J., Norwood, E., Hayes, J. A., & Gelso, C. J. (2017). The development and initial validation of the Countertransference management scale. Psychotherapy, 54(3), 307-319. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000126
Piedfort-Marin, O. (2018). Transference and countertransference in EMDR therapy. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 12(3), 158-172.
Schaeffer, J. A. (2020, January 8). Double-edged swords: Understanding transference and Countertransference in non-analytic therapy by Judith A. Schaeffer, Ph.D. ContinuingEdCourses.Net – Continuing Ed Courses on the Internet. https://www.continuingedcourses.net/active/courses/course076.php
Wheeler, K. (2013). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-to guide for evidence-based practice (2nd ed.). Springer Publishing Company.
