Negative feelings that are stirred up in the analyst as he/she interacts with the patient - as the patient may remind the analyst of someone from his/her past.

• A. Countertransference
• B. Transference
• C. Regression
• D. Introjection

Answer: (D)

Countertransference is at play here—the therapist’s own unresolved feelings are stirred by the patient, especially when the patient resembles someone from the therapist’s past. These negative reactions come from the clinician’s internal history, not from something the patient is doing in the moment, and they can color how the therapist interprets the patient or responds in session. Recognizing and managing countertransference through self-reflection and supervision helps keep the therapy focused on the patient’s needs. By contrast, transference involves the patient projecting feelings onto the therapist; regression refers to the patient reverting to earlier developmental patterns under stress; and introjection is about internalizing others’ attributes or voices, rather than the therapist’s own reactions to the patient.