3.7 Transference: Clinical Classification of Transference Reactions

There is no way of classifying transference phenomena that would do justice to all the different varieties. No matter how one tries to separate the many clinical forms of transference, one ends up either with an unsystematic classification with a great many important clinical types omitted, or else one may cover the clinically significant varieties but there is a great deal of overlapping. The lesser evil is to sacrifice the systematic in favor of completeness. I shall attempt to describe the most important forms of transference reactions and classify or label them in accordance with what seems to be the most useful approach clinically.

It should be borne in mind that one method of classification does not rule out another. For example, one might describe a situation as representing a positive transference, and with equal validity label the same phenomenon as a mother transference, etc. Another point: these transference reactions will not be differentiated from the standpoint of whether they are sporadic, transient transference reactions or whether they are manifestations of the transference neurosis. Such a differentiation has already been described in the theoretical section and all categories of transference reactions should be understood

as existing in both forms. Finally, one should realize that a great number of transference feelings occur simultaneously, just as they do in object relations in general. Theoretically one could describe different layerings or hierarchies of emotions and defense coexisting in any given relationship between people. In the ensuing description of types of transference reactions, I shall limit myself to a discussion of what is predominant, what is clinically significant for a given period of time in an analysis.

Although Freud (1912a) recognized very early that all transference phenomena are ambivalent in nature, the label of positive and negative transference remained his favorite means of