Managing Countertransference in Therapeutic Interactions with Traumatized Youth: Creating a Pathway to Making Discomfort Comfortable

Abstract

ABSTRACT Practitioners can find themselves experiencing counter transference without having the tools to adequately respond. As the need for the facility in working with trauma grows, the importance of acknowledging countertransference cannot be underscored enough. Via an overview of a single-case study in which an MSW student evaluated her practice utilizing aspects of a model for operationalizing countertransference, this article presents a model for managing and decreasing countertransference, and enhancing reflective skills. Implications for clinical education and supervision regarding transparency and authenticity in the discussions of countertransference when working with traumatized youth are presented.