Question

Edward starts to worry about telling his therapist about his drinking. He is afraid that the therapist will get mad at him like his mother used to. Edward has started relating to his therapist as he related to his mother. Edward is experiencing ________

a) transference
b) countertransference
c) catharsis
d) resistance

Answer 1

Answer: A. Transference

Explanation: This term refers to psychoanalytic theory and refers to the replacement of therapists (usually) with someone from personal experience, from childhood or adolescence. It could be someone from the family as a mother, as in the case of Edward. The someone we replace the therapist with, may be someone from an adolescence, for example, someone can fall in love with their therapist. It happens because he or she has performed a sexual transference, i.e projected memories from youth to his /her therapist.