Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026
06:42
Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
Published on: September 28, 2018
The analyst's countertransference when supervising: friend or foe?
1London, UK.
The Journal of Analytical Psychology
|January 25, 2007
Summary
This study examines transference and countertransference in supervision, highlighting how organizational dynamics and unconscious forces impact the supervisory relationship and ethical practice.
Area of Science:
- Psychoanalytic Psychology
- Clinical Supervision
- Organizational Psychology
Background:
- Supervision is crucial for clinical training and ethical practice.
- Understanding transference and countertransference dynamics is essential in psychotherapy and supervision.
- Organizational factors can significantly influence the therapeutic alliance and supervisory process.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore transference and countertransference dynamics within the supervisory relationship.
- To investigate the impact of organizational dynamics on supervision.
- To analyze the supervisor's role and countertransference in the context of supervision.
Main Methods:
- Exploration of analytic theory related to supervision.
- Discussion of key concepts: mirroring, parallel process, and reflective process.
- Analysis of clinical situations illustrating unconscious forces and ethical concerns in supervision.
Main Results:
- Organizational dynamics, including defenses, power, accountability, and ethics, influence supervision.
- The supervisor's countertransference plays a significant role in the supervisory process.
- Supervision differs from analysis in focus, response, and dynamic process.
Conclusions:
- Transference and countertransference are critical elements in clinical supervision.
- Organizational factors must be considered to understand supervisory relationship dynamics.
- The concept of 'refracted countertransference' offers a new perspective on supervisory challenges.
Related Concept Videos
02:16Stereotype Content Model
The Stereotype Content Model (SCM) was first proposed by Susan Fiske and her colleagues (Fiske, Cuddy, Glick & Xu, 2002; see also Fiske, 2012 and Fiske, 2017). The SCM specifies that when someone encounters a new group, they will stereotype them based on two metrics: warmth—or that group’s perceived intent, and how likely they are to provide help or inflict harm—and competence—or their ability to carry out that objective. Depending on the warmth-competence categorization, a person will feel...
01:14Impression Management Techniques IV: Altercasting
Altercasting is a strategic communication technique in which an individual imposes a specific identity or social role onto another person to influence their behavior and shape the interaction. By presuming a role—such as “responsible leader” or “patient person”—altercasting encourages the target to conform to that identity, often aligning their behavior with the expectations associated with the role. The power of this tactic lies in its subtlety; once a role is assigned, it becomes socially...
01:15Theory of Attribution I: Correspondent Inference Theory
Correspondent inference theory, proposed by Jones and Davis in 1965, seeks to explain how individuals infer stable personality traits from observed behaviors. It suggests that people attribute actions to underlying dispositions rather than external circumstances, particularly when the behavior appears intentional and socially significant.Voluntary Behavior and Dispositional AttributionAccording to this theory, individuals are more likely to attribute behavior to personal traits when it appears...
02:09Stereotype Threat and Self-fulfilling Prophecies
When we hold a stereotype about a person, we have expectations that he or she will fulfill that stereotype. A self-fulfilling prophecy is an expectation held by a person that alters his or her behavior in a way that tends to make it true. When we hold stereotypes about a person, we tend to treat the person according to our expectations. This treatment can influence the person to act according to our stereotypic expectations, thus confirming our stereotypic beliefs. Research by Rosenthal and...
01:23Actor-Observer Effect
The actor-observer effect, a cognitive bias closely linked to the fundamental attribution error, refers to the tendency for individuals to attribute their behavior to external, situational factors while explaining others’ behavior in terms of internal, dispositional traits. This asymmetry in attribution significantly influences social perception and judgment.Cognitive Mechanisms Behind the EffectTwo primary psychological mechanisms contribute to the actor-observer effect: differences in visual...
01:14Fundamental Attribution Error
According to some social psychologists, people tend to overemphasize internal factors as explanations—or attributions—for the behavior of other people. They tend to assume that the behavior of another person is a trait of that person, and to underestimate the power of the situation on the behavior of others. They tend to fail to recognize when the behavior of another is due to situational variables, and thus to the person’s state. This erroneous assumption is called the fundamental attribution...