Abstract

The intent of the current investigation was twofold: to introduce a research design that would qualitatively capture the essence of countertransference as it is experienced by both therapists and supervisors, and quantitatively examine parallel process, by identifying the frequency to which the dynamics from one relationship were reflected in the other. Specifically, five general research purposes were proposed: to understand therapist countertransference by investigating therapists' reported interfering and facilitative thoughts/feelings as well as the interfering and facilitating behaviors during counseling sessions, to examine the relationships between therapists' internal countertransferential manifestations and their external countertransferential manifestations , to qualitatively investigate the experience of supervisory countertransference, to examine links and relationships between supervisors' reported thoughts/feelings and supervisory reported corresponding behaviors, and to examine the parallel process dynamics between therapist countertransference and supervisor countertransference. ;Six supervisors and four therapists were given the Countertransference Interview after every supervision and therapy session for eight months, totaling 84 post-supervision interviews and 182 post-therapy interviews. Supervisors and therapists reported a variety of thoughts/feelings that interfered with and facilitated their work in session. They also answered how those thoughts/feelings influenced their behaviors. Each interview contained four query prompts, totaling 336 supervision responses and 728 therapist responses that were categorized and analyzed. ;Overall, the current investigation provided further empirical support for several propositions previously stated in the literature . Qualitative analysis revealed a broader spectrum of countertransferential experiences than had been previously reported in the literature . Quantitative analysis reported significant relationships between themes of thoughts/feelings and corresponding behaviors that challenge theoretical notions that countertransference is only expressed through avoidant behaviors . Finally, several parallel process themes were identified . The behavior between therapists and supervisors most frequently paralleled was that of exhibiting a more authoritative role in session