The Therapeutic Relationship: Transference, Countertransference, and the Making of Meaning (Volume 14)

Carolyn and Ernest Fay Series in Analytical Psychology

by Jan Wiener, Jan Wiener

Also available in an open-access, full-text edition at
While C. G. Jung had a natural intuitive understanding of the transference and countertransference, his lack of a "coherent method and clinical technique for working with transference and his ambivalence and mercurial attitude to matters of method," have, in the words of therapist and Jungian scholar Jan Wiener, sometimes left Jungians who are eager to hone their knowledge and skills in this area "floundering and confused."
Her aim in this important book is to lay the groundwork for the development of a "more contemporary Jungian approach" to working with transference and countertransference dynamics within the therapeutic relationship. Her work is also informed by knowledge from other fields, such as philosophy, infant development, neuroscience, and the arts.

In The Therapeutic Relationship, Wiener makes a central distinction between working "in" the transference and working "with" the transference, advocating a flexible approach that takes account of the different kinds of attachment patients can make to their therapists. She develops her own concept of the transference matrix, a model that honors one of Jung’s core beliefs in the development of a symbolic capacity as an essential task of psychotherapy, but at the same time acknowledges that a capacity to symbolize can only emerge through relationship .
 

Genres: Psychology

168 pages, Paperback

First published November 23, 2009

Reviews

[Morgan Blackledge · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short book on Jungian conceptualizations of transference and counter-transference in psychoanalysis and psychodynamic psychotherapy.

Sometimes it’s confused and confusing. Other times clear and clarifying. Sometimes it’s boring as fuck. Other times it’s inspired and inspirational.

I wish it was better than it was.

I didn’t hate it but I really wanted a good book on the subject and this just wasn’t it for me.

3 😐😐😐’s

[Lina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book wasn't so easy to go through somehow. However, I found quite resonating ideas about transference, counter-transference, and the relationship between the analyst and the analysand generally. Basically, it is based on Jung's idea "Know all the theories, master all the techniques, but as you touch a human soul be just another human soul", but even stretched out more, because Wiener is not just an analyst, she's a singer too, so she confronts the ideas and adds her input into it, even if it is from her singer side. All ends up quite beautifully, there is a lot to learn from the book for every psychotherapist/ psychologist.
A must-read, no doubt.

[Vitalijus Gafurovas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Knyga šiaip gera, nors ir nėra lengva. Įdomus ir tas istorinis kontekstas, kuris pateikiamas, ir Freudo-Jungo laiškai šia tema. Tačiau pasigedau daugiau praktinių pavyzdžių, galbūt net paprastesnių, nes pateiktųjų buvo nedaug ir jie nelabai aiškus. Žinoma, tai gali rodyti ir mano ribotą supratimą. Šiai dienai nuomonė apie knygą tokia.

[Bartosz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The phenomena of transference and countertransference are very difficult to theorize about; they have to be experienced in practice in order to become aware how much they affect the psychotherapeutic and psychoanalytical work. Beginning therapists are often dazzled by how strong impact their dynamics may have on the session and on the professional himself. No wonder this book became a part of the teaching curriculum of the International Association for Analytical Psychology. Jan Wiener discusses the history and nuances of Jungian understanding of the phenomena, including the differences between the so called classical and developmental currents, as well as an in-depth description of the process itself and how it can be used in therapy. As a Jungian analyst, I had the opportunity to learn from Jan in person and I could definitely place these occasions among especially helpful inspirations in my work and professional development.

[Archer · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much as I enjoyed this book, I think I missed a lot of what was being said. I finished it a while back now but I remember feeling as if it wasn't quite what I was looking for. Jung's metaphor of the Rosarium Philosophorum was particularly interesting. Over all I felt it lacked the emotive personalisation that I was looking for. It was more an analysis on the concept of transference and how it is treated amongst psychologists rather than how it feels for the individuals. It was an effective analysis, just not what I expected.
Read to reflect on:
- The consensus of transference from the perspective on the analysis

[Benedek Dr. Bálint · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting thoughts about contemporary jungian analytical psychology. The author claims the existence of mythological transference/countertransference (arising from the depths of the collective unconscious).