A Therapist’s Guide to Countertransference: Harness Self-Awareness to Strengthen Interventions and Enhance Ethical Practice

CPD

Planning Committee Disclosure - No relevant relationships

All members of the PESI, Inc. planning committee have provided disclosures of financial relationships with ineligible organizations and any relevant non-financial relationships prior to planning content for this activity. None of the committee members had relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or other potentially biasing relationships to disclose to learners.  For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.

Handouts

Speaker

Janika Veasley, MFT, LMFT Related seminars and products

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Janika Veasley, MFT, LMFT, is a seasoned clinician with extensive experience in managing countertransference, an integral part of her approach to working with high-conflict couples. She has led numerous trainings on the Person of the Therapist Training Model, where she equips clinicians to navigate countertransference and case conceptualization with skill and insight. This framework has been central to her work in training and mentoring staff to improve clinical outcomes and deepen therapeutic connections.

In addition to her clinical practice, Janika has led workshops and community trainings focused on the intersection of mental health and relationships, and her expertise has been featured in media outlets such as Bustle, Business Insider, The Toronto Sun, POPSUGAR, and more, where she educates the public on fostering healthy relationships and emotional connections. Janika currently maintains a thriving private practice, offering support to individuals and couples across Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Janika Veasley is the owner of AMAVI Therapy Center. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Janika Veasley is a member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapists.

Additional Info

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Objectives

1. Develop clear psychoeducation on how transference and countertransference affect the therapeutic relationship.
2. Formulate ethical strategies to manage countertransference in clinical practice.
3. Examine ethical challenges that arise from countertransference in therapeutic settings.
4. Choose advance supervision techniques to transform countertransference into a tool for strengthening the therapeutic alliance.
5. Evaluate the influence of cultural countertransference and bias on therapy outcomes.
6. Identify evidence-based clinical approaches to address countertransference.

Outline

• Explore Traditional and Contemporary Definitions
• Clarify the Distinction between Transference and Countertransference
• Applied Countertransference Research

• How Countertransference Evolved and Insights for Modern Therapy
• Types of countertransference:
  • Identify and define positive, negative, and projective countertransference
  • Discuss implications of each type in therapy

• How Countertransference Manifests in Real-time
  • How to consistently recognise signs of CT during sessions
  • Strategies to re-focus and skillfully use CT to help clients
  • Case examples illustrating countertransference dynamics

• Recognise Your Own Countertransference
  • Tools and techniques for self-reflection
  • The role of self-awareness in clinical practice
• Explore Emotional and Physical Responses
  • The mind-body connection in countertransference
  • Recognise physiological signals of countertransference
• Identify and Label Emotional Experiences
  • Practical exercises for naming and understanding your emotional responses

• Emotional Regulation Techniques
  • Strategies for managing countertransference during sessions
  • Techniques to maintain a neutral therapeutic stance
• Utilise POTT and Schema Therapy in Supervision
  • Apply POTT themes to improve therapeutic effectiveness
  • Incorporate schema therapy into supervision and consultation

• Process Countertransference After Sessions
  • Practical methods for resolving countertransference post-session
  • Supervision techniques for collaborative problem-solving

• Is Using Countertransference Unethical?
  • Explore ethical implications of countertransference
  • Reference APA, AAMFT, and NASW Codes of Ethics
• Ethical Values in Countertransference Management
  • Discuss integrity, respect, and responsibility
  • Explore ethical dilemmas related to countertransference

• How Culture Impacts on Countertransference
• Strategies for Maintaining cultural Sensitivity in Therapy

• Integrate Countertransference into Clinical Practice
  • Recommendations for incorporating countertransference training
  • The importance of experiential learning
• Consequences of Poor Countertransference Management
  • Case studies showing the impact of mismanaging countertransference
  • Discussion on the effects on client outcomes and therapeutic relationships
• Broaden Focus Beyond Sexual/Erotic Countertransference
  • Address emotional, relational, and cultural countertransference
  • Expand the conversation beyond sexual dynamics in therapy
  • Risks, limitations, scope of practice

Target Audience

• Counsellors
• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Addiction Counsellors
• Physicians
• Physician Assistants
• Nurses
• Nurse Practitioners
• Other Mental Health Professionals