A client complains that if the social worker cared for him like his mother, he would not be charged for treatment. This is an example of which phenomenon?

A client complains that if the social worker cared for him like his mother, he would not be charged for treatment. This is an example of which phenomenon?

• A. Transference reaction.
• B. Countertransference.
• C. Resistance.
• D. Projection.

Answer: (A)

The situation illustrates transference. The client is unconsciously treating the social worker as a stand-in for his mother, projecting past expectations of maternal care onto the therapist. He links being cared for with not being charged, showing how feelings and dynamics from an important early relationship are repeated in the therapeutic relationship. This is about the client’s reactions toward the therapist, not about the therapist’s feelings (countertransference) or the client’s own defensiveness (resistance), and it isn’t about attributing his own unacceptable feelings to someone else (projection).

The situation illustrates transference. The client is unconsciously treating the social worker as a stand-in for his mother, projecting past expectations of maternal care onto the therapist. He links being cared for with not being charged, showing how feelings and dynamics from an important early relationship are repeated in the therapeutic relationship. This is about the client’s reactions toward the therapist, not about the therapist’s feelings (countertransference) or the client’s own defensiveness (resistance), and it isn’t about attributing his own unacceptable feelings to someone else (projection).