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Section 13
Transference & Countertransference in the Cross-Cultural Relationship

Question 13 | Test | Table of Contents

The concepts of transference and countertransference can be utilized in multicultural counseling. They serve to frame strong and irrational reac­tions by both the client and the counselor in terms of cultural conflict and cultural identity development.

In order for the concept of transference to be useful, one must go beyond the traditional analytical framework of the counselor as represen­tative of the primary caretaker to the counselor as representative of a cul­ture. Depending on clients’ form of second-culture acquisition and level of cultural identity development, they will, play out issues significant to cul­tural differences. For example, minority clients at the conformity stage easily will idealize a counselor from the dominant culture. From a multi­cultural perspective, it would be wrong to interpret such idealization as having to do with childhood dependency issues. Rather, it is more a func­tion of how these minority clients see themselves in relation to the dom­inant culture. In a similar vein, a minority client at the resistance stage will transfer anger and depreciation to a counselor from the dominant culture, now seen as an instrument of oppression. Again, within the mul­ticultural perspective, such transference should not be seen as stemming from conflicts with primary caretakers but as the result of this minority client’s stage of development and how the client sees himself or herself in relation to the dominant culture. In short, when working with clients from nondominant cultures, transference issues based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender will have more to do with the client’s level of cultural identity development than with primary caretakers.

Much of what was said about transference in cross-cultural counsel­ing can be said about countertransference. When working with clients from nondominant cultures, counselor’s reactions will have more to do with their own level of cultural identity development. Counselors by na­ture are not exempt from racial/ethnic stereotypes. Thus, when working with nondominant clients who look, behave, and speak differently, coun­selors must be acutely honest in detecting whether their negative reactions to clients are the result of cultural imperialism. Obviously, the more high­ly developed a counselor’s cultural identity, the greater the capacity for openness to and enrichment by clients from diverse cultures. An au­tonomous White counselor should have fewer countertransferential reac­tions to non-White clients. However, the same cannot be said for a disintegrated or reintegrated White counselor. Earlier mention was made of racial identity relationship types between counselor and client as being either progressive, regressive, parallel, or crossed. Crossed (counselor and client have directly opposite attitudes) and regressive (counselor is at a lower level of cultural identity development) relationships are most prone to countertransferential reactions. ‘What was said in the first part of this chapter about the importance and difficulty of distinguishing counter-transference from counselor reactions that reveal something accurate about the client must be reiterated here. Multicultural counselors should be courageously honest with themselves and their supervisors in admitting racist/sexist attitudes and ethnic/gender stereotypes that might result in negative reactions to culturally diverse clients. If it’s mentionable, it’s man­ageable. Much easier than the recognition of these mangled parts of our­selves is pathologizing the client. The sensitive multicultural counselor constantly will scrutinize how two diverse cultures (that of the counselor and that of the client) are impacting the counseling relationship and will be sensitive to counseling as a coinvestigation into reality.

- Sciarra, Daniel T. Multiculturalism in Counseling. F.E. Peacock Publishers, Inc. Itasca: 1999.

Personal Reflection Exercise Explanation
The Goal of this Home Study Course is to create a learning experience that enhances your clinical skills. We encourage you to discuss the Personal Reflection Journaling Activities, found at the end of each Section, with your colleagues. Thus, you are provided with an opportunity for a Group Discussion experience. Case Study examples might include: family background, socio-economic status, education, occupation, social/emotional issues, legal/financial issues, death/dying/health, home management, parenting, etc. as you deem appropriate. A Case Study is to be approximately 50 words in length. However, since the content of these “Personal Reflection” Journaling Exercises is intended for your future reference, they may contain confidential information and are to be applied as a “work in progress.” You will not be required to provide us with these Journaling Activities.

Personal Reflection Exercise #1
The preceding section contained information about transference and countertransference in the cross-cultural relationship.  Write three case study examples regarding how you might use the content of this section in your practice.
Reviewed 2023

Update
Managing Transference
and Countertransference
in Cognitive Behavioral Supervision:
Theoretical Framework and Clinical Application

- Prasko, J., Ociskova, M., Vanek, J., Burkauskas, J., Slepecky, M., Bite, I., Krone, I., Sollar, T., & Juskiene, A. (2022). Managing Transference and Countertransference in Cognitive Behavioral Supervision: Theoretical Framework and Clinical Application. Psychology research and behavior management, 15, 2129–2155.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Article References:
Abramson, L., Petranker, R., Marom, I., & Aviezer, H. (2021). Social interaction context shapes emotion recognition through body language, not facial expressions. Emotion, 21(3), 557–568.

Baumann, E. F., Ryu, D., & Harney, P. (2020). Listening to identity: Transference, countertransference, and therapist disclosure in psychotherapy with sexual and gender minority clients. Practice Innovations, 5(3), 246–256.

Carsky, M. (2020). How treatment arrangements enhance transference analysis in transference-focused psychotherapy. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 37(4), 335–343.

Dichter, M. E., Thomas, K. A., Crits-Christoph, P., Ogden, S. N., & Rhodes, K. V. (2018). Coercive control in intimate partner violence: Relationship with women’s experience of violence, use of violence, and danger. Psychology of Violence, 8(5), 596–604.

Gerber, M. M., González, R., Carvacho, H., Jiménez-Moya, G., Moya, C., & Jackson, J. (2018). On the justification of intergroup violence: The roles of procedural justice, police legitimacy, and group identity in attitudes toward violence among indigenous people. Psychology of Violence, 8(3), 379–389.

QUESTION 13
At what stage will a minority client transfer anger and depreciation to a counselor from the dominant culture, now seen as an instrument of oppression? To select and enter your answer go to Test.

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