Developing countertransference awareness as a therapist in training: The role of containing contexts

The psychodynamic literature suggests that countertransference is an inevitable part of therapy and a significant feature of the client-therapist relationship. However, countertransference is also considered to be a 'doubleedged sword': when it is reflected on by the therapist, it can offer valuable insights into the therapeutic relationship, but when it remains outside of awareness and therefore unmanaged it can result in the therapist unwittingly acting out in the therapeutic relationship and responding in counter-therapeutic ways. The purpose of this research was to explore the factors involved in the development of countertransference awareness in therapists and to construct a grounded theory of the process. Fifteen qualified therapists were recruited and interviewed, either face to face or via Skype, using a semi-structured interview schedule. The grounded theory constructed from the data suggests that during training participants initially experienced countertransference as threatening and overwhelming. When this experience was contained in supervision and therapy, the organisational context and by participants' theoretical framework, they could reflect on their countertransferential responses and make sense of their experience, which then developed their self-awareness and other insights to the benefit of the therapeutic relationship. Conversely, a lack of containment in these domains resulted in participants acting out their countertransference and becoming either over or under available in the therapeutic relationship. The findings offer a useful process model on the role containing contexts play in the development of countertransference awareness for therapists in training.