Biomaterial Database

Therapist anger in group psychotherapy. 1995

W K Hahn

Student Health Service and Student Counseling Services Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA.

Countertransference anger serves as a defense against the experience of shame, which occurs when therapists fail to live up to jointly created idealized expectations. The author describes ways of changing these expectations in order to reduce the transference-countertransference resonance, which is based on narcissistic needs. The author distinguishes countertransference anger (which should not be disclosed to group members) from realistic therapist anger, which has therapeutic value. Realistic anger can be used as a therapeutic tool to dispel distortions, provide an interpersonal connection, help members trust the reality of the situation, and provide a balance of good and bad between the members and therapists.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
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
D011615	Psychotherapy, Group	A form of therapy in which two or more patients participate under the guidance of one or more psychotherapists for the purpose of treating emotional disturbances, social maladjustments, and psychotic states.	Group Therapy,Group Psychotherapy,Therapy, Group
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
D003674	Defense Mechanisms	Unconscious process used by an individual or a group of individuals in order to cope with impulses, feelings or ideas which are not acceptable at their conscious level; various types include reaction formation, projection and self reversal.	Mechanisms, Defense
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000786	Anger	A strong emotional feeling of displeasure aroused by being interfered with, injured or threatened.	Angers
D012752	Shame	An emotional attitude excited by realization of a shortcoming or impropriety.	Shames
D014167	Transference, Psychology	The unconscious transfer to others (including psychotherapists) of feelings and attitudes which were originally associated with important figures (parents, siblings, etc.) in one's early life.	Psychological Transference,Transference (Psychology),Psychological Transferences,Psychology Transference,Psychology Transferences,Transference, Psychological,Transferences (Psychology),Transferences, Psychological,Transferences, Psychology