A Note on Transference

The skills of semantics should be frequently applied to the nomenclature of any of the natural sciences, particularly one, like psycho-analysis, that is in process of maturing. Loose meanings not only tend to confuse but also lead to slipshod application of clinical techniques, and to theoretical errors. Expressions like 'transference', 'repression', 'sublimation', 'abreaction', and others have acquired over the years increasingly vague meanings.

In this paper I shall cover the 'transference situation' or 'transference' in the sense of describing the patient-analyst relation.

To begin with, we should examine the overall role of transference. By reason of his training the analyst concerns himself with the transference before the patient appears in the flesh. That is, the conscientious analyst is aware that not only his personality and attitude can effect the transference but also the physical surroundings in which the therapy is conducted. He therefore concerns himself with the location of his office, the type of waiting-room he is to have, the office furniture, including his desk and the objects upon it. He further takes into account his own attire, personal jewellery for example, and even the type of coiffure or facial adornment.

Since in its classical aspects analysis aims at achieving a status where the patient's transference will be allowed to develop unhampered by current reality factors and impressions, and also, as far as possible, so that affects should flow in a one-way direction, from patient to analyst, the analyst endeavours to efface himself, to be detached, objective, in other words emotionally antiseptic.

To allow for the natural inability of human beings to bring about a situation of perfect detachment, the analyst, again by reason of his training, has prepared a safeguard in the form of a personal analysis which ideally has the objective of providing for him a mental inventory of his own complexes. Thus he feels when all else fails that he is ade