Counselor Ho Jin finds herself deeply frustrated with her client, because he reminds her so much of her abusive father. According to psychoanalysis, what is happening?

• A. Counter-transference
• B. Transference
• C. Projection
• D. Resistance

Answer: (A)

Countertransference shows up when a therapist’s own unresolved issues surface in reaction to a client. In this case, Ho Jin feels deep frustration because the client reminds her of her abusive father. Those emotions come from Ho Jin’s past experiences and are directed at the client, not because the client is eliciting those feelings through transference onto the therapist. The therapist’s task is to recognize and manage these reactions so they don’t distort the therapy. This differs from transference, where the client projects feelings about someone from their past onto the therapist; projection, where the client attributes their own thoughts or feelings to others; and resistance, where the client blocks progress. So the situation illustrates countertransference.