A sign that countertransference may be occurring is when the counselor feels intense anger toward a person that the counselor hardly knows.

A sign that countertransference may be occurring is when the counselor feels intense anger toward a person that the counselor hardly knows.

• A. A client shows anger in session
• B. The counselor feels intense anger toward a person the counselor hardly knows.
• C. The client demonstrates excessive attachment to the counselor
• D. The counselor maintains perfect objectivity

Answer: (B)

Countertransference happens when a counselor’s own unresolved issues or emotions spill into the therapy and color how they respond to the client. A strong sign is when the counselor feels intense anger toward someone the counselor hardly knows, because that anger isn’t rooted in the client’s behavior or the session itself. It indicates personal feelings are being triggered and are affecting judgment. So this scenario best reflects countertransference, since the emotion seems driven by the counselor’s own history rather than the client’s actions. In contrast, client anger in session shows something about the client's experience; client attachment reflects the client projecting feelings toward the therapist, and striving for perfect objectivity, while ideal, isn’t itself a sign of countertransference.

Countertransference happens when a counselor’s own unresolved issues or emotions spill into the therapy and color how they respond to the client. A strong sign is when the counselor feels intense anger toward someone the counselor hardly knows, because that anger isn’t rooted in the client’s behavior or the session itself. It indicates personal feelings are being triggered and are affecting judgment. So this scenario best reflects countertransference, since the emotion seems driven by the counselor’s own history rather than the client’s actions. In contrast, client anger in session shows something about the client's experience; client attachment reflects the client projecting feelings toward the therapist, and striving for perfect objectivity, while ideal, isn’t itself a sign of countertransference.