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Old Dec 13, 2014, 11:31 PM
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feralkittymom feralkittymom is offline
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Member Since: Aug 2012
Location: yada
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Many therapists believe that once a client terminates, it is inappropriate to contact them again, even to acknowledge an e-mail. Admittedly, his sense of boundaries is confused at best, but not responding isn't unusual.

I don't think counter transference, in and of itself, in any way negates the authenticity of therapy. The issue for me is that he doesn't seem to have the skill to handle his counter transference in a therapeutically professional way. The goal isn't necessarily for him to eliminate counter transference, but to explore and understand and be alerted to it so that it doesn't complicate your therapy--and that is accomplished through his own therapy/supervision. His apparent belief that it should be explored within your therapy is what is potentially damaging because it shifts the balance from your therapy being therapeutic for you, to your therapy being therapeutic for him.

Were there times when his response to you seemed to not reflect you as you understand yourself? Probably, if his counter transference was strong. But it's not the transference that's the problem; it's the T being unaware of, or unable to separate out the transference from the relationship. But that is squarely the T's work to do, not yours.

Maybe think of transference as a layer of perception, not the totality. It doesn't rob a relationship of authenticity because a relationship isn't one-dimensional, but it can color some interactions. Right now, you're understandably upset, but as the emotional dust settles, try to find what resonated for you, what helped you--that can serve as the basis for a relationship with another therapist.