s feelings or attitudesa therapists has toward a client, holding that countertransference feelings arepotentially beneficial to treatment (Singer & Luborsky, 1977). Using more specificlanguage, Corey (1991) defines countertransference as the process of seeingoneself in the client, of overidentifying with the client or of meeting needs throughthe client. Common to all definitions of this construct is the belief that countertransferencemust be regulated or managed. If unregulated, a therapist's blind spots may limithis/her therapeutic effectiveness by allowing clients to touch the therapist's ownunresolved areas, resulting in conflictual and irrational reactions. With greaterawareness of the motivating forces behind one's own thoughts, feelings andbehaviors, the therapist is less likely to distort the therapeutic relationship. Indeed, because countertransference originates in the unconscious, the morethe therapist is able to bring into conscious awareness that which washidden in the unconscious, the less he will find that his patient's materialstimulates countertransference reactions. (Hayes, Gelso, Van Wagoner &Diemer, 1991, p. 142) Nonfacilitative countertransference is not just the passive act of misperception. Itoccurs when, as a result of the misperception, the therapist's response to the clientis based on his/her own need or issue rather than that of the client. Countertransference is an important issue for all therapists. Beginning therapistsoften address the issue in class sessions, groups and supervision, as well as inimpromptu discussions. Generally, no therapist wants his/her unresolved issues tocloud the therapeutic process. Being in personal therapy and supervision are twoways a therapist can bring issues to conscious awareness and deal withcountertransference (Fromm Reichmann, 1950; Gelso & Carter, 1985; Heimann,1950; Reich, 1960), but are there other ways? Are there specific personalcharacteristics which enable the therapis...
