General Patterns in Psychotherapists’ Countertransference

Countertransference has mainly been studied in psychoanalysis from the perspective of the individual psychoanalyst, in case reports and theoretical papers, and to some extent in empirical research on a general level. There is a gap between knowledge about countertransference on the individual and the general level, as well as between empirical research and clinical practice. The aim of the present study was to examine common patterns in countertransference among individual therapists, using a person-oriented approach. By using a cluster-analytic statistical method with data on 219 individual therapists’ countertransference (using the Therapist Response Questionnaire in relation to a particular psychotherapy), six groups of therapists with similar patterns in countertransference were identified: (1) over-engaged, (2) disengaged, (3) low intensity of countertransference, (4) high intensity in countertransference, (5) parental, and (6) sexualizing countertransference. Some identified patterns could be organized into opposites in dimensions: The level of intensity (low vs. high), and the experienced distance in the therapy (over-engaged vs. disengaged). The six patterns may represent prototypical patterns of reaction that could serve as self-knowledge for the therapist to counter different relational challenges in therapy. Limitations are the use of a cross-sectional design with only one patient per therapist, and the absence of a formal diagnostic procedure, which precludes any conclusions about the extent to which these patterns were due to therapist or patient characteristics.