Dictionary Definitions of Projection, Transference and Counter-Transference

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While by no means exhaustive, these are some definitions I found

in 'The Free Dictionary by Farlex' for the following words:

 

Projection: " Psychology a. The attribution of one's own attitudes,

feelings, or suppositions to others: " Even trained anthropologists

have been guilty of unconscious projectionof clothing the subjects of

their research in theories brought with them into the field " Alex

Shoumatoff.

b. The attribution of one's own attitudes, feelings, or desires to

someone or something as a naive or unconscious defense against

anxiety or guilt. "

 

Transference: " 2. In psychoanalysis, the process by which emotions

and desires originally associated with one person, such as a parent

or sibling, are unconsciously shifted to another person, especially

to the analyst. "

 

Counter-Transference: " Counter-transference is a term in

psychotherapy, denoting a condition where the therapist, as a result

of the therapy sessions, begins to transfer the therapist's own

repressed feelings to the patient. It is also defined as the entire

body of feelings that the therapist has toward the patient.

 

Counter-transference is defined in oppositon to transference, where a

person in therapy begins to transfer feelings (whether positive or

negative) to the therapist. For example, the person in therapy may

begin to look at the therapist as if the therapist were the patient's

mother, transferring their feelings for the real mother to the

therapist. This is considered a positive sign in psychoanalytic

therapy, showing that the patient is making progress. "

 

" Silver "