Transference refers to:

Transference refers to:

• A. The counselor's feelings from a past relationship projected onto the client
• B. The client's feelings from a past relationship projected onto the counselor
• C. The client's feelings toward the counselor that are unrelated to past relationships
• D. The therapist's personal biases about treatment

Answer: (B)

Transference is when the client experiences and projects feelings from important people in their past onto the therapist. In therapy, a client might respond to you as if you were a parent, partner, or other significant figure, bringing old hurts, fears, or affection into the session. This helps reveal unresolved patterns and provides a ladder for interpretation that can lead to insight and healing. The described scenario—where the client’s past-relationship feelings are redirected toward the counselor—perfectly captures this dynamic. If it were the therapist’s own feelings projected onto the client, that would be countertransference, not transference. If the client’s reactions are unrelated to past relationships, they’re more about present interactions or other non-relational responses, not transference. And if it’s about the therapist’s biases about treatment, that’s biases or countertransference, not transference.

Transference is when the client experiences and projects feelings from important people in their past onto the therapist. In therapy, a client might respond to you as if you were a parent, partner, or other significant figure, bringing old hurts, fears, or affection into the session. This helps reveal unresolved patterns and provides a ladder for interpretation that can lead to insight and healing. The described scenario—where the client’s past-relationship feelings are redirected toward the counselor—perfectly captures this dynamic. If it were the therapist’s own feelings projected onto the client, that would be countertransference, not transference. If the client’s reactions are unrelated to past relationships, they’re more about present interactions or other non-relational responses, not transference. And if it’s about the therapist’s biases about treatment, that’s biases or countertransference, not transference.