Psychology Homeworks

Common Concerns of Beginning Helpers Thursday, June 22, 2023 Prof. Birch

Agenda ● Check in ● Review Ch. 3-4 ● Ch. 5 ● LELO’s

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“Understanding why people suffer, how they change, and how to help them live more satisfying and gratifying lives is a

fascination, huge, and important undertaking. John Sommers-Flanagan and Rita Sommers Flanagan, 2015

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The counselor aims to bring empathy, congruence, and

unconditional regard to their engagement with clients. Each is interlinked and part of a whole,

working towards successful client outcomes (Gillon, 2007)

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Exploring Self-Doubts and Fears I am likely to have trouble working with clients who are not motivated to change or who are mandated to come to me for counseling.

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Transference & counter-transference symbolize the way in which the client acts and feels toward the counselor and vice versa.

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Transference

Countertransference Countertransference has been viewed as the therapist's reaction to

projections of the client onto the therapist. It has been defined as the redirection of a therapist's feelings toward a patient and the emotional

entanglement that can occur with a patient (Fink, 2011). 8

Transference and Countertransference! rb.gy/kjk3p

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Distortions

POLITICAL TRANSFERENCE rb.gy/jurpk

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Understanding and Working With Transference Therapeutically

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Awareness

InterruptionsMotivations

Justifiable Response Interpretation Express Feelings Interrogaton

Understanding and Dealing With Countertransference

Aren’t you proud?

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Minding your Mind

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Simply having feelings toward a client does not automatically mean that we are having countertransference reactions. We may feel deep empathy and compassion for some of our clients as a function of their life situations.

Examples of Countertransference

Let me help you Your client has had a very difficult life. No matter how hard he tries, things don’t work out, despite his best efforts. You find yourself going out of your way to be helpful to this client to the extent that he becomes dependent on you. Your intervention might be more comforting to you than it is beneficial to the client.

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I hope she cancels You are intimidated by a client’s anger directed at you or others. When you are in the presence of this client, you are not yourself but are self-conscious and guarded. When he cancels a session, you find yourself relieved.•

No one is immune to countertransference

Thanks!

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Any questions?