Posted by gardenergirl on January 13, 2004, at 20:12:20
In reply to Where does working through get you????, posted by crushedout on January 13, 2004, at 19:39:00
That is a good question. I can't say it's universally helpful, because I'm not sure that anything is. But I know that it can help take the intensity of the feelings down, or it can clarify confusion.
Let's say jypothetically that someone has a mother transference, and wishes the therapist would take on the role of a good, nurturing, validating mother. This wish may lead to feelings of dependence and then frustration as the therapist doesn't meet their needs. Instead of being tossed between feeling attached and feeling let down (which may be similar to the person's feelings about their own mother), you could talk about it. Opening up this way may help with understanding another relationship which lets you down, or may help with recognition of why their feelings seem so confusing. Ideally, this working through would then lead to the person having a sense of more choices in behavior in response to triggers related to the ransference. You would be working from a more conscious place than if you never had the transference and working through.
Does this make any sense? It definitely depends on how it is worked through. Just admitting a transference and having the T say, "oh, okay" and not processing it is not really helpful, IMO.
poster:gardenergirl
thread:299191
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040110/msgs/300403.html