Countertransference will often be differentiated into concordant or complementary countertransference.
Concordant countertransference involves the therapist taking in the patient’s inner state (Racker, 2007; Brown, 2011), causing the therapist to align with the patient in thoughts and feeling. This process of the therapist experiencing the same inner reality closely resembles empathy.
Example – A patient had a disagreement with his boss where he felt unfairly criticized for being lazy. Upon hearing the story, the therapist agreed with the patient that he had been unfairly criticized.
Complementary countertransference occurs when the therapist identifies not with the patient, but rather with another person from the patient’s life thereby recreating an earlier relationship. The patient unconsciously desires to reenact a previous relationship, and the therapist feels compelled to play the accompanying role (Brown, 2011).
Example – A patient was harshly and unfairly criticized by his boss for being lazy. Upon hearing his story, his therapist is left with the feeling that the harsh criticism is deserved and that the patient is in fact lazy.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/counter-transference
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780123970459001956
