Countertransference as an indicator of trauma processing

If countertransference is defined as the manifestation-within the therapist-of material that the patient cannot process (Ermann1), it becomes immediately apparent that working with traumatized patients places significant demands on the clinician. This article demonstrates that countertransference serves not only to identify the patient's internalized relational patterns (Heimann2) but also provides insights into the degree to which traumatic experiences have been integrated (Barwinski3,4). A method is presented for utilizing the clinician's countertransference during the treatment of traumatized patients to identify trauma and facilitate steps toward integration for the patient.