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A Psychologist's Thoughts on Clinical Practice, Behavior, and Life

Transference and Counter-transference During Psychotherapy

Healing during psychotherapy occurs through the therapist-patient interaction which, ideally, is the "good-enough" parenting that the patient lacked during their early development. While emotional expression heals during psychotherapy, unconsciously derived reactions are common: forgetting an appointment, day-dreaming during the therapy session, or boredom. These, termed "transference" on the part of the patient and "counter-transference" on the part of the therapist, are inevitable. Though sometimes reducing the effectiveness of treatment when experienced by the therapist, they are part of the human condition, occur whenever people interact, and can point the therapist toward providing better treatment.

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