The Wounded Healer: Counter-Transference from a Jungian Perspective

By David Sedgwick

Book Overview

Countertransference is an important part of the analytical process. It is concerned with the analyst's emotional response to the patient. As such, it can be a particularly difficult aspect of the analytical setting and especially so because of the threat of possible sexual involvement with the patient. At present there is little available on this difficult topic. Jungian analyst David Sedgwick tackles the subject bravely and shows how to use the countertransference in a positive way. The result is one of the finest Jungian clinical texts of recent years.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415106206
• ISBN13: 9780415106207
• Release Date: October 1994
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.6" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Umm, that was You

A friend recommended this to me. I wanted not only to better understand counter transference, just the term, but also to better understand her as she engaged in her field. I have a perspective as her friend on what therapy does to her in the process as I see her pass through time.She suffers, her issues come forth, she engages in processing this.It's clear. Also of course was articulating to her that some of the terms and meanings of this counter-transference process were a bit unclear to me. She recommended reading around transference as well. And so I finished my second read last evening. Might need another on "the self" to better understand where one is going, because that's still something that remains less than crystal. ( the book relaying that after these shared processes you are arriving at self) It was edifying. In teaching kids there is a lot about the actual doing that never gets into print I suspect because it's messy to speak to and altho there is Socrates and philosophy there isn't so much about the "teacher mind" in relationship to how they actually think through the processes of the work maybe Carl Rogers shared something of it. But just the same it reminded me just a little of this. Just a little. To be honest I wanted to know more about the process gone awry. About the therapist that saw their own stuff shining, about mis interpretation and about the things that might go on and this gave me a beautiful insight. In the end it pretty much gave me insights into what's sitting with the notepad. Again a question my friend decided needed answered given some real hurt I'd suffered. Good book. I suspect many in the field avoid the implications but really worth the time to add into the training.

Helpful Resource

This book is very helpful for psychologists, therapists, etc. who are encountering transference/countertransference issues with their clients. The author provides detailed case illustrations with word by word plays of candid countertransference thoughts and fantasies that occur in each session. Following the case examples is a theoretical framework for utilizing countertransference as a therapeutic tool. One piece that this reviewer found scarce in the book was actual statements or interventions utilized in session, as the author focused more on private thoughts not shared with the client. However, the point may have been to think more and say less while working with countertransference.