Group therapist countertransference to trauma and traumatogenic situations

In this introduction to the special issue on "Group Therapist Countertransference to Trauma and Traumatogenic Situations," the author notes that for many therapists it is not only group member disclosures and re-enactments, but also the co-occurring, sociopolitical contexts in which they live that may involve traumatic challenges. He considers three historically evolving views of countertransference: (1) the "classical"position, (2) the "totalistic" view, and (3) the "intersubjective/relational" view. He views the therapist's intense emotionality (as opposed to clinical detachment) in response to trauma as inevitable, and considers the particular roles of "bystander," "perpetrator," and "victim" induced in the therapist by traumatic re-enactments in the group. He concludes with a synopsis of some of the key points made in each of the contributions to the special issue.