Biomaterial Database

Countertransference responses in short-term dynamic psychotherapy. 1986

G Vaslamatzis, and P Kanellos, and V Tserpe, and S Verveniotis

The concept of countertransference is used in a broader sense (Heimann, Kernberg) or a more restricted one (Reich, Dewald) in the psychoanalytic literature. All authors generally agree that it is of great importance 'to have countertransference under conscious awareness and control' (Singer and Luborsky). Our study stresses the importance of the countertransference phenomenon in the context of short-term dynamic psychotherapy (STDP). Three clinical examples were selected to illustrate only the specific issues of this study. Psychotherapies were carried out in the Psychotherapy Unit of the Psychiatric Clinic, Athens University. Therapists were residents in psychiatry and were supervised by psychiatrists with a formal psychoanalytic training and experience. Taking into account the therapeutic processes, three kinds of countertransference responses were discerned: (a) those connected with the patient's transference pattern; (b) those linked with the therapist's character structure, and (c) those manifested in specific stages of STDP, especially during the termination phase.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D011369	Professional-Patient Relations	Interactions between health personnel and patients.	Contacting Clients,Pharmacist-Patient Relations,Professional Patient Relationship,Client, Contacting,Clients, Contacting,Contacting Client,Pharmacist Patient Relations,Pharmacist-Patient Relation,Professional Patient Relations,Professional Patient Relationships,Professional-Patient Relation,Relation, Pharmacist-Patient,Relation, Professional-Patient,Relations, Pharmacist-Patient,Relations, Professional-Patient,Relationship, Professional Patient,Relationships, Professional Patient
D011575	Psychoanalytic Therapy	A form of psychiatric treatment, based on Freudian principles, which seeks to eliminate or diminish the undesirable effects of unconscious conflicts by making the patient aware of their existence, origin, and inappropriate expression in current emotions and behavior.	Balint Psychoanalytic Therapy,Psychoanalytic Therapy, Balint,Psychoanalytical Therapy,Therapy, Balint Psychoanalytic,Therapy, Psychoanalytic,Psychoanalytic Therapies,Psychoanalytical Therapies,Therapies, Psychoanalytic,Therapies, Psychoanalytical,Therapy, Psychoanalytical
D011602	Psychophysiologic Disorders	A group of disorders characterized by physical symptoms that are affected by emotional factors and involve a single organ system, usually under AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM control. (American Psychiatric Glossary, 1988)	Psychosomatic Disorders,Psychophysiological Disorders,Psychophysiologic Disorder,Psychophysiological Disorder,Psychosomatic Disorder
D011614	Psychotherapy, Brief	Any form of psychotherapy designed to produce therapeutic change within a minimal amount of time, generally not more than 20 sessions.	Short-Term Psychotherapy,Brief Psychotherapy,Psychotherapy, Short-Term,Solution-Focused Brief Therapy,Brief Psychotherapies,Brief Therapies, Solution-Focused,Brief Therapy, Solution-Focused,Psychotherapies, Brief,Psychotherapies, Short-Term,Psychotherapy, Short Term,Short Term Psychotherapy,Short-Term Psychotherapies,Solution Focused Brief Therapy,Solution-Focused Brief Therapies,Therapies, Solution-Focused Brief,Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief
D003379	Countertransference	Conscious or unconscious emotional reaction of the therapist to the patient which may interfere with treatment. (APA, Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 8th ed.)	Countertransference, Psychology
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D013001	Somatoform Disorders	Disorders having the presence of physical symptoms that suggest a general medical condition but that are not fully explained by another medical condition, by the direct effects of a substance, or by another mental disorder. The MEDICALLY UNEXPLAINED SYMPTOMS must cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning. In contrast to FACTITIOUS DISORDERS and MALINGERING, the physical symptoms are not under voluntary control. (APA, DSM-V)	Briquet Syndrome,Pain Disorder,Somatization Disorder,Medically Unexplained Syndrome,Medically Unexplained Syndromes,Disorder, Somatoform,Somatization Disorders,Somatoform Disorder,Syndrome, Briquet,Syndrome, Medically Unexplained,Unexplained Syndrome, Medically