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Seeking to mediate between the "classical" view of countertransference as a neurotic impediment to the treatment process and the more recent "totalist" perspective, which assumes that the therapist's emotional response necessarily reveals something about the patient, Tansey and Burke stake out a thoughtful middle ground. They submit that the therapist's utilization of adequately processed countertransference reactions is in fact integral to treatment success, while arguing against the totalist assumption that the therapist's emotional to the patient must be revelatory in a direct and immediate way.
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UNDERSTANDING COUNTERTRANSFERENCE From Projective Identification to Empathy This page intentionally left blank Michael J. Tansey Walter F. Burke UNDERSTANDING COUNTERTRANSFERENCE From Projective Identification to Empathy U J Psychology Press X Taylor & Francis Group New York London London First Published by The Analytic Press, Inc. Editorial Offices: 101 West Street Hillsdale, Nj 07642 Transferred to Digital Printing 2009 by Psychology Press 270 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016 27 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2FA Copyright 1989 by The Analytic Press, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form: by photostat, microform, retrieval system, or any other means, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Set in Melior type by TechType, Upper Saddle River, Nj First paperback printing 1995 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Tansey, Michael j. Understanding countertransference. Bibliography; p. Includes index. 1. Countertransference I. Burke, Walter F. II. Title. RC489.C68T36 1989 616.89'14 88-24217 ISBN 0-88163-227-9 Publisher's Note The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of this reprint but points out that some imperfections in the origi nal may be apparent. To my parents, Connie and Walter WF.B. To Pamela M.]. T. This page intentionally left blank I had seen so many people all my life-I was an average mixer, but more than average in a tendency to identify myself, my ideas, my destiny, with those of all classes that I came in contact with .... I had become identified with the objects of horror or compassion . .. identification such as this spells the death of accomplishment. It is something like this that keeps insane people from working. -F. Scott Fitzgerald, "The Crack Up," 1936 This page intentionally left blank Contents Preface 1 Introduction xi 1 2 Countertransference, Empathy, and Projective Identification: An Historical Perspective 3 Discussion of Terms 9 39 4 The Unitary Sequence for Processing Interactional Communications: An Introduction 65 5 The Reception Phase 71 6 Internal Processing 85 7 The Communication Phase 99 8 Validation 111 9 Countertransference Disclosure 133 10 Clinical Illustrations 151 11 Closing Comments 195 References 205 Author Index 213 Subject Index 217 This page intentionally left blank Preface The inspiration for this work came predominantly from our association with Dr. Merton Gill. Having participated in his psychotherapy seminar during graduate school, we were fortunate enough to be able to form a weekly study group with him upon graduation. That group began in 1978, continues to meet, and has exerted a major impact upon clinical psychology throughout the city of Chicago. Unlike many others who have achieved eminence in this field, Merton has always encouraged independent thinking rather th