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Countertransference: the emerging common ground

¹Menninger Clinic, Topeka, KS 66601-0829, USA.

The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis

|June 1, 1995

Summary

Psychoanalysts increasingly agree on countertransference, viewing it as a joint creation between patient and analyst. Key concepts like projective identification and enactment shape this evolving understanding.

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Area of Science:

Psychology
Psychoanalysis
Psychotherapy

Background:

Countertransference understanding has converged among diverse psychoanalytic perspectives.
This convergence is driven by evolving concepts of projective identification and countertransference enactment.
Social constructivist, relational theories, and role-responsiveness further inform this view.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the evolving understanding of countertransference in psychoanalysis.
To highlight the convergence of theoretical perspectives on countertransference.
To examine the concepts of projective identification and enactment in shaping this understanding.

Main Methods:

Conceptual analysis of psychoanalytic literature.
Review of theoretical developments in projective identification and countertransference enactment.
Integration of social constructivist and relational theories.

Main Results:

Countertransference is increasingly understood as a 'joint creation' between analyst and patient.
Projective identification evolved from intrapsychic fantasy to an interpersonal interaction.
Countertransference enactment captures situations where analyst's reaction mirrors patient's transference fantasy.
A continuum exists, with varying emphasis on analyst vs. patient contribution.

Conclusions:

A common ground has emerged in understanding countertransference as a collaborative process.
The relative contributions of analyst and patient to countertransference vary by theoretical orientation.
While enactments are seen as inevitable, their role in facilitating intrapsychic change remains debated.

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