What is Transference? Freudian Psychoanalysis

Transference is the psychological term for when you project your feelings about someone from your past onto someone in the present. The concept was first described by the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. He believed transference falls into three categories: negative transference, positive transference and erotic transference

🔵 WORK WITH ME

If you'd like to work with Teresa, or a member of the Lewis Psychology team, please click on the links below:

☐ Lewis Psychology CIC (for face to face therapy): https://www.lewispsy.org.uk
☐ Lewis Psychology Online (for online therapy): https://lewispsyonline.co.uk

🔵 CHAPTERS

0:00 Negative transference
1:30 Positive transference
2:38 Erotic transference

🔵 NEGATIVE TRANSFERENCE

Jamie’s father was very critical, controlling and physically abusive. As an adult Jamie started a new job and immediately noticed his manager was physically very similar to his father, slim, greying hair, a full beard and in his mid 50’s. He immediately took a very strong dislike to his manager. Jamie was projecting his negative thoughts and feelings about his father onto his manager. His relationship with his father had formed an unconscious template in his mind which said, ‘older males in authority with a beard and slim frame are cruel, critical and controlling’. Jamie’s unconscious template fit the relationship with his manager. The influence of the template was so strong and pervasive Jamie expected his manager to also be critical and cruel just like his father.

🔵 POSITIVE TRANSFERENCE

Rachael grew up with a warm, loving and attentive mother. Her mother was a nurse and always took great care to provide nutritious food, a safe home and lots of physical and emotional affection. Upon entering psychological therapy as an adult Rachael immediately experienced her female therapist with great affection and trust. In fact Rachael viewed her therapist in a very similar manner to her mother. Rachael had an unconscious template in her mind which said, ‘older females in the caring the profession are good and trustworthy people’. However, this template remained repressed and unconscious despite being triggered on her first encounter with her therapist.

Both Jamie’s and Rachael’s transference is a repetition of their past. Freud calls his ‘repetition compulsion’. It’s basically when a person repeats a pattern or behaviour from an earlier stage of life. So repetition compulsion is usually unconscious.

🔵 EROTIC TRANSFERENCE

Frank felt ignored, mistreated and misunderstood all of his life. He attended psychological therapy to address childhood neglect and difficulties forming romantic relationships. With his therapist he encountered such a genuine concern for his well-being it made him feel very special. After a few weeks of therapy he started to have fantasies about being in a relationship with his therapist. Having never experienced positive feeling of being cared for Frank redirected his desires and fantasies toward his therapist. Erotic transference isn’t always about sexual feelings but rather the fantasy of merging and being engulfed in the parent child symbiotic relationship. Frank is imagining his therapist is the loving other has never experienced as he is unconsciously trying to create a happy ending in an old painful situation.

Freud originally described transference as occurring within the psychological relationship but it can occur with anyone, neighbours, friends, coworkers and strangers. Within the context of psychological therapy Freud believed it’s important to draw attention to, and interpret the transference, which can help the client break the pattern. Freud believed that otherwise the client is doomed to compulsively repeat until the repression can be brought into consciousness.


🔵 ABOUT TERESA LEWIS

Teresa Lewis is the founder and Director of Lewis Psychology and a Senior Accredited psychotherapist with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP Snr. Accred). Qualified in 1995, Teresa has been providing counselling and psychotherapy treatment for nearly 30 years. Teresa holds a masters degree in counselling and psychotherapy and is a qualified EMDR Practitioner having completed training accredited with EMDR Europe. Teresa is also a qualified adult educator and an accredited Mindfulness teacher As a recognised expert in her field Teresa is frequently asked to conduct editorial reviews and endorse counselling and psychotherapy books for international publishing houses.

☐ Email: [email protected]
☐ Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lewispsy...

🔵 GRAPHICS AND THUMBNAIL

Thumbnail and B-Roll graphics designed by Teresa Lewis. B-Roll video is used in strict compliance with the appropriate permissions and licenses required from Pexels.com and Canva.com in accordance with the YouTube Partner Program, Community guidelines and YouTube terms of service.

#LewisPsychology