Review Question - QID 107062

The female is displaying transference when she feels affection and warmth towards the male who resembles her deceased husband.

Transference is the unconscious shifting of emotions associated with one person to another. Transference typically occurs in doctor-patient relationships where the patient projects feelings onto the physician. The reverse can also occur when the doctor projects feelings onto the patient, which is called countertransference.

In the Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP), the authors review transference in greater detail. As mentioned above, transference occurs when patients project feelings onto their doctor/counselor. Transference can complicate treatment, as either victims of child abuse may perceive the counselor as the abuser or the patient can see the counselor as the attentive and loving parent they wanted.

In TIP, they also review countertransference where the counselor projects his/her own feelings towards the patient. This typically occurs when the counselor loses objectivity and becomes emotional upon hearing the patient's story. This may complicate treatment, as the counselor may rush the patients to deal with their issues before they are prepared to do so or the counselor may discourage the patient from dealing with their issues altogether.

Incorrect Answers:
Answer 2: Countertransference is when the physician projects feelings towards another person onto the patient.

Answer 3: Sublimation is a mature ego defense when one replaces an unacceptable action with a similar, acceptable action.

Answer 4: Projection is an immature ego defense when one attributes unacceptable internal feelings to an external source.

Answer 5: Identification is an immature ego defense when one imitates behavior, either good or bad, of a more powerful person.