"In the mental health industry, we sometimes treat countertransference like it's a curse word. A personal attack on someone's being. An intentional act of aggression. The ultimate mental health offense. But, for my students at Trinity Washington University, I introduce and engage them in the conversation about countertransference as a learning lesson. We must learn the key factors so we can carry out the formula and get to the true answer."
"Just like arithmetic, we need to learn the numbers (2, 4, 6 or biases, core beliefs, or imbedded discriminatory language), then we need to know the function (addition, subtraction, multiplication or adding to the clients experience, taking away from the clients experience, or being unhelpfully neutral) and then we need to know the other set of numbers (1, 3, 5 or purpose of the therapy - fully for the client or also satisfying for self)."
Many Black people avoid mental health therapy because of historical and present-day expectations of discrimination and bias during treatment. These biases manifest as improper diagnoses, shallow treatment plans, poor session planning, insufficient cultural preparation, and invalidation of lived experience. Invalidation often stems from therapist countertransference, which is frequently stigmatized in the mental health field. Treating countertransference as a teachable concept enables clinicians to identify key factors and correct harmful dynamics. An arithmetic analogy—mapping biases/core beliefs, therapeutic actions, and therapy goals—can help evaluate whether therapy centers the client's needs or satisfies the therapist.
Read at Psychology Today
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