Clinical I DB (2). Week 7

Do you agree or not? Justify your answer.

Student 1. L. Schwartz

Having had some experience with traditional psychoanalysis and psychotherapy, I was relieved to know that transference/counter-transference for social work practice is liberated from the grandiose notion of an omniscient therapist who can be all things and know the true nature (unconscious) of their clients/patients (Saari, 1986). Freud originated the concept of the analyst being a “blank slate,” withholding personality and opinions or any action-oriented process. This practice was thought to enable the client/patient to enact behavioral patterns within the context of the therapeutic relationship to elicit reflection and the “ability to see true reality” (1986). Contemporary thinking has adjusted this patriarchal model as social work focus on person-in-situation/environment became prominent. Saari proposes that what we know about the unconscious (that it changes over time) call for a therapy that is a “mutually interactive construction of the clients ‘reality” (1986). Social workers can exchange information dependent on the context in order to facilitate shared meaning making. I especially appreciate how this supports the Just Practice Framework.

De-pathologizing transference and countertransference create the opportunity for greater awareness and growth in therapy. In my experience with older adults, I am aware of my countertransference on a regular basis. Working with people until they either die or leave their homes for an institution triggers certain emotions that I am learning to regulate when I realize what “meaning” in my own life I am attending. Being mindful always brings me back to the clients’ needs. I see transference often with people who have estranged familial relationships. I become the “object” and we can use this recognition in an action-oriented way.

Student 2. E. Rodriguez

In the article “The created relationship: Transference, countertransference and therapeutic culture,” Saari (1986) tells that that the concepts of transference and countertransference are an inevitable part of therapy, and it part of our ability to understand ourselves and others. It is also through our interactions with one another that we are able to achieve this. Countertransference is when a “therapist personality is inevitably a part of the treatment situation” (p. 48). This couldn't be more true in the social services field.Transference and countertransference are definitely part of my work with my clients. In the past, I had a very difficult experience with a client who would perceive me as a family member and had unrealistic expectations of our relationship. I had just started working in social services, I was inexperience and unware. I did not realized that what she manifested were particularly connected to her childhood experience. It wasn’t until later, that I understood. There have also been times where I have experience countertransference with my clients. Some of my clients have been demanding and difficult to work with. I misunderstood them and reacted defensively. I came to realize that the conflict between my clients was often triggered by my own life issues. It is not always easy to recognize your own countertransference, but becoming self-aware has helped me manage my own personal feelings. I have learned how to respond appropriately, and this has made the working relationship with my clients so much better.