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Jaquesha Porter Basic Skills for Social Work Bachelor of Social Work, Walden University Professor D’Quayvion Cloud October 27, 2023

Countertransference occurs when a social worker is inappropriately or overly involved in a client's life. This could be when a social worker feels strong emotions like sadness for a client and their situation. Countertransference can also happen when a client exhibits traits the social worker can relate to. This can quickly happen if a social worker sees the client for an extended period or when they are dealing with personal matters. Countertransference can also occur when a social worker becomes attracted or repulsed by a client. This could happen because of the close relationship between social workers and clients. Since clients disclose so much of their personal information frequently with their social workers, it could be easy for those lines to blur. "Because of this power differential between the client and the social worker, we must always be mindful of the power we hold" ( Cummins & Sevel, 2017, pg 175). Since the social worker is seen as the helper or healer, it could be easy for them to get a savior complex and look at the client as someone they need to save. The best way for a social worker to avoid countertransference is to create clear boundaries with clients and themselves. Transference occurs when clients transfer strong emotions and feelings to their social worker. This can happen if the client sees the social worker as a parental figure because of the help they are giving. Transference clouds the client's judgment and makes them see the social worker in a position they are not naturally in. For instance, if the client was a 17-year-old male whose mother abused him and abandoned him after he reported her to the school, he could see a social worker around his mother's age treating him with kindness and trying to understand him as a replacement. Transference can also be when clients place unreasonable and unrealistic demands on their social worker. This can cause the client to act differently to the social worker since they

see them as influential figures in their lives. Some questions and advice could be hard for them to hear from the social worker. A population I could relate to is African-American teenagers and young adults. I say that because I was not too long ago a teenager, and when I was younger, I had to deal with feeling like others didn't prioritize me and my feelings. I didn't feel heard or recognized because of my age. I also had problems with my anger and how I showed it. Because of this, I could connect to those with similar issues. I could also see myself relating to single mothers because I am one. I understand how hard it is to raise and take care of a child by yourself. This is one thing I wish no one had to go through. After all, it is hard to provide for a child by yourself without a proper support system, never being able to work the best jobs or have a fun night because you can't find adequate childcare. I feel even worse for teen mothers because they are so young, and I can only imagine how hard it is for them. Countertransference could negatively impact my relationship with clients I identify with in multiple ways. For example, if I had a young woman that reminded me of my younger self, I could push her too far to do the things I wished or wanted to do when I was her age. If she was struggling with finding a job and was on the verge of being homeless and she came to me, I would try to convince her to go to the army because of the stable income and housing. If she insisted this would be the worst thing for her and I persistently told her to join, this could create strife in our relationship. If she did end up signing up for the army and had a horrible experiment, this could make her resent me as a social worker, and this could be hard to fix if she ever needed a social worker later in life. Another example could be if a client were two years older than me and I found them attractive. If I were to pursue this or act on impulses, this could create an awkward environment for the client. This is also frowned upon by the NASW Code of Ethics and

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is even more disgraceful if the feelings are not reciprocated. Acts like touching hands or hugs could be taken as sexual harassment and highly inappropriate. Later on, this could lead to the client not seeking further help from social workers because of the fear of more harassment. A client dealing with the loss of their mother and having an older social worker could start seeing the social worker as their mother. Transference occurs when clients transfer strong emotions and feelings to their social worker. This could happen because the client is experiencing a difficult time or lonely. This could cause the client to be in fear of disappointing their social worker or try not to say the wrong thing in fear they would stop caring about them. This could harm the client and social worker relationship because now the client may not be able to be truthful in what they are going through and what they want to do because of this fear. Another issue when a client has a transference connection to a social worker is if it is a negative, hateful transference. The client could decide the social worker cannot help them reach their goals or benefit them. They may give up the effort to change and not seek help anymore. If I experience countertransference, I would first recognize that this is happening. I would ask myself if what I am doing or the advice is something I would give everyone or just this client. I would also consult someone who has dealt with countertransference or knows someone who has.

Sources 1. Cummins, L., K., & Sevel, J., A. (2017). Social work skills for beginning direct practice: Text, workbook, and interactive web based case studies (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

I would do this to hear of ways I could professionally deal with clients instead of how I am acting now. This could also give me tips to avoid doing this with another client. I would then practice whatever tips I received from my friends or colleagues. I would practice self-care and examine why and how I became attached to the client. The last thing I would do is refer the client to another social worker. I would want to continue to protect the professional relationship and client, especially if the interactions were harming the client.

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