Review Question - QID 107063

In the doctor-patient relationship, the doctor is experiencing countertransference.

Countertransference is the unconscious shifting of emotions from the physician about an important person onto the patient. As displayed above, the physician felt parental and protective when the patient was describing her encounters hoping that he could have helped her from her perpetrator. He placed his feelings that he would have had for his own children onto the patient. The opposite can also occur when the patient projects feelings about an important person on the physician.

In the Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP), the authors review in greater detail countertransference where the counselor projects his/her own feelings towards the patient. This typically occurs when the counselor loses objectivity and becomes emotional when hearing the patient's story. This may complicate treatment as the counselor may rush the patients to deal with their issues before they are even ready or the counselor may discourage the patient from dealing with their issues altogether.

In TIP, the authors review in greater detail transference. As mentioned above, transference occurs when patients project feelings onto the doctor/counselor. Transference can complicate treatment as 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.

Incorrect answers:
Answer 1: Transference is when the patient projects feelings about an important person on the physician.
Answer 3: Identification is an immature ego defense when one imitates behavior, either good or bad, of a more powerful person.
Answer 4: Sublimation is a mature ego defense when one replaces an unacceptable action with a similar acceptable action.
Answer 5: Projection is an immature ego defense when one attributes unacceptable internal feelings to an external source.