Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Psychodynamic Therapy

Psychodynamic Therapy

Psychodynamic therapies emphasize the exploration of unconscious processes and early childhood experiences as fundamental contributors to psychological difficulties. These therapies, deeply rooted in Freud's psychoanalytic theory, aim to uncover and resolve unconscious conflicts, granting individuals insights that promote emotional and behavioral healing. Contemporary psychodynamic approaches have evolved, integrating a broader range of influences and methodologies while still valuing the...

Counterfactual Thinking

Counterfactual Thinking

Counterfactual thinking is a cognitive process wherein individuals mentally reconstruct alternative versions of past events, often beginning with “what if” or “if only.” This reflective mechanism plays a significant role in shaping emotional experiences and guiding future behavior. Though typically triggered by unfavorable or unexpected outcomes, counterfactual thinking can also emerge in mundane, everyday decisions and experiences, revealing its deep entrenchment in human cognition.Types of...

Dreaming

Dreaming

Sigmund Freud revolutionized our understanding of dreams by proposing that they are a window into the unconscious mind. According to Freud, dreams are not mere stories our minds create while we sleep but are profoundly meaningful narratives about our hidden desires and fears. He introduced two key concepts: manifest content and latent content. The manifest content is the actual content and imagery of the dream — what we remember when we wake up. The latent content, however, represents the...

Psychosexual Stages of Personality: Phallic

Psychosexual Stages of Personality: Phallic

The third stage of psychosexual development proposed by Freud is the phallic stage, occurring between the ages of 3 and 6. During this period, children become aware of their bodies and the differences between males and females. The erogenous zone in this stage is the genitals, and conflicts arise as children develop desires toward the opposite-sex parent. Boys experience the Oedipus complex, where they desire their mother and view their father as a rival. This leads to castration anxiety, the...

Jung's Analytical Theory

Jung's Analytical Theory

Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist and former follower of Freud, eventually broke away from Freud's ideas to create his framework, analytical psychology. This approach emphasizes achieving a balance between the conscious and unconscious aspects of the mind and reconciling various experiences within an individual's personality. Jung believed that this process, which typically unfolds in the latter part of life, involves an ongoing journey of recognizing and incorporating unconscious elements into...

Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory

Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory

Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory revolutionized psychology by introducing the idea that unconscious forces significantly shape human behavior. According to Freud, every psychological event is driven by deep-seated internal forces, often formed during early childhood. His theory, built on the premises of psychic determinism, symbolic meaning, and unconscious motivation, offers a unique perspective on the complexities of human behavior.
Freud's concept of psychic determinism asserts that...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Clinical Movement Toward Integration With Obsessive Personality Disorder: The Fear of Losing Love and the Need for Control.

Psychoanalytic review·2026

Same author

Name It, Claim It, Tame It: Modern Kleinian Therapy and the Challenge of Change.

American journal of psychoanalysis·2025

Same author

The Flexible Function of the Modern Kleinian Psychoanalytic Approach: Interpreting Through the Unbearable Security of Paranoid and Depressive Phantasies.

American journal of psychoanalysis·2017

Same author

The Quest for Greatness in the Race to Not Be Forgotten.

Psychoanalytic review·2016

Same author

Attention deficit disorder or object detachment disorder: a brief psychoanalytic case study.

Psychoanalytic review·2014

Same author

How the analytic process is captured and absorbed into the familiar, the feared, and the desired.

Psychoanalytic review·2012

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2026

State-Dependency Effects on TMS: A Look at Motive Phosphene Behavior

State-Dependency Effects on TMS: A Look at Motive Phosphene Behavior

Published on: December 28, 2010

Using countertransference: analytic contact, projective identification, and transference phantasy states.

¹drwaska@aol.com

American Journal of Psychotherapy

|February 5, 2009

Summary

Projective identification, transference, and countertransference are key in psychoanalytic treatment. Understanding countertransference helps analysts interpret patient

More Related Videos

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation

Published on: March 1, 2017

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients

Published on: June 12, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 25, 2026

State-Dependency Effects on TMS: A Look at Motive Phosphene Behavior

State-Dependency Effects on TMS: A Look at Motive Phosphene Behavior

Published on: December 28, 2010

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation

Published on: March 1, 2017

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients

Published on: June 12, 2020

Area of Science:

Psychoanalytic theory and practice
Psychodynamic psychotherapy
Object relations theory

Background:

Projective identification is a core defense mechanism in psychoanalytic treatments, influencing both disturbed and higher-functioning patients.
It involves internal fantasies and external interactions, shaping the transference relationship between patient and analyst.
Continuous projections can distort ego perception, leading to increased negative emotions and further projections.

Observation:

Case material demonstrates the interplay between projective identification, transference, and countertransference.
Countertransference is crucial for interpreting projective identification processes and core patient fantasies.
Analytic contact, focusing on internal conflict and unconscious fantasy, is vital for psychological transformation.

Findings:

Projective identification dynamics often obscure transference, making it difficult for analysts to identify and interpret patient fantasies.
Countertransference serves as a vital tool to uncover these hidden transference fantasies.
Understanding and interpreting core phantasy states through countertransference enhances patient self-control.

Implications:

Effective use of countertransference allows analysts to interpret patient's core phantasy states, promoting psychological freedom.
Focusing on the transference/projective identification/countertransference matrix facilitates patient integration and emotional stability.
This approach supports the development of greater personal choice and emotional resilience in patients.