A client begins to treat the therapist as if the therapist were a significant figure from the client's past.

• A. Transference
• B. Countertransference
• C. Empathy
• D. Unconditional positive regard

Answer: (A)

Transference is when a client unconsciously redirects feelings and expectations from important people in their past onto the therapist. In this scenario, the client starts treating the therapist as if the therapist were a significant figure from the client’s past, which is a classic example of transference. This isn’t about the therapist’s own reactions or about the therapist’s skills or attitudes; those would involve countertransference, empathy, or unconditional positive regard, respectively. Empathy is the ability to understand the client’s feelings; unconditional positive regard is accepting the client without judgment. Neither explains why the client is responding to the therapist as if they were someone from the past. Recognizing transference helps the therapist explore unresolved past relationships and how they influence current interactions.