A note on transference and alliance: II. Patterns of interaction

Conceptual and pragmatic difficulties are encountered in relating and differentiating transference from alliance. Transference and alliance, along with the real relationship, are component elements of the analytic relationship, and are mutually involved in intermingling and interaction at all points of the analytic process. Variants of transference, as discussed in a companion article (Meissner, 2001), are differentiated from and related to alliance components and functions. Transference and alliance can interact in oppositional terms, each undermining or obfuscating the other; an emphasis on alliance may subvert transference and, conversely, transference may act as one of the major sources of misalliance. They may also sustain and reinforce each other; alliance often serves as a vehicle for providing a safe context for emergence of difficult transference derivatives, and benign and mild forms of positive or idealizing transference can offer reinforcement to the analytic relationship, and in some degree, to the alliance. Some forms of transference, especially selfobject transferences, may enjoy significant overlap with alliance functions. Therapeutic implications and limits of these differentiations are considered.