Transference And Countertransference Essay

Ken Hensley once said “It is hard to understand addiction unless you have experienced it.” This statement is true and many different aspects. This quote takes on two forms of meaning; first addict understand addiction and second people affected by the addict understand addiction. I just so happen to be both, which is what lead me to this career choice. We will explore how being on both sides of addiction can lead to transference and countertransference and how their patterns can lead to murky relationship boundaries.
Becoming a treatment counselor was not something I wanted to do when I grew up, in fact I was against it and laughed at those who were going to school to become one. I laughed at them while I smoked my pipe from the sidelines. That all changed the day my brother died of a heroin overdose. He was only 25 and had just gotten engaged the week before, he had his whole life in front of him. At that moment I thought my life is worth living without drugs …show more content…
My colleague and I checked on each other throughout the day. I was able to recognize the countertransference in that extreme situation and get in a solution. In that moment I saw my brother but with a blink of the eye I realized she was a woman in need of medical attention. I was able to act accordingly.
Client’s could manipulate the situation by playing on my sympathies to get what they want or even feel like they need to be the counselor in the situation. I need to watch for my personal feelings towards clients and how I react to them. When I first started you could tell what I was thinking by my facial expressions, and that was not good. Now I am able to be aware of my body language and how clients may or may not perceive it. Transference and countertransference are going to happen but it is my responsibility as a counselor to address and seek supervision if need