The patient unconsciously responds to the analyst, as if he/she were a significant other from his/her past, often a parental figure.

• A. Countertransference
• B. Transference
• C. Projection
• D. Identification

Answer: (B)

Transference happens when the patient unconsciously responds to the analyst as if the analyst were a significant person from the patient’s past, often a parent. In other words, old feelings, expectations, and relational patterns are projected onto the therapist, who becomes a stand-in for that important figure. This can reveal unresolved conflicts and habitual ways of relating that originated in childhood, offering a window into how the patient handles relationships now. It’s different from countertransference, which is about the therapist’s own emotional reactions to the patient rather than the patient’s reactions to the therapist. Projection is about attributing one’s own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to others in general, not specifically reenacting past relationships with the therapist. Identification involves adopting traits or behaviors of another person, rather than acting out a familiar relational script with the therapist.