In psychoanalysis, when a patient interacts with the therapist as if they were a parent, this is called

In psychoanalysis, when a patient interacts with the therapist as if they were a parent, this is called

• A. Regression
• B. Transference
• C. Countertransference
• D. Projection

Answer: (B)

Transference is when a patient interacts with the therapist as if the therapist were a parent or another important caregiver from the patient’s past. Those reactions—affection, anger, dependency, fear—aren’t about the therapist as a person; they reflect earlier relationships and unresolved feelings. By noticing and exploring these projected dynamics, the therapy can reveal deep patterns the patient carries into current relationships, offering a path to insight and healing. This stands apart from other concepts: regression is a broad return to earlier levels of development in behavior, not necessarily linked to the therapist’s role; countertransference is the therapist’s own emotional reaction to the patient; and projection is attributing one’s own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to someone else.

Transference is when a patient interacts with the therapist as if the therapist were a parent or another important caregiver from the patient’s past. Those reactions—affection, anger, dependency, fear—aren’t about the therapist as a person; they reflect earlier relationships and unresolved feelings. By noticing and exploring these projected dynamics, the therapy can reveal deep patterns the patient carries into current relationships, offering a path to insight and healing.

This stands apart from other concepts: regression is a broad return to earlier levels of development in behavior, not necessarily linked to the therapist’s role; countertransference is the therapist’s own emotional reaction to the patient; and projection is attributing one’s own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to someone else.