Maximizing Participant Interactions: “Transference” Revealed

1. Maximizing Participant Interactions:“Transference” Revealed Welcome Paul Warren, LMSW NDRI, Inc., The Training Institute

2. Guidelines • Sharing in a professional context • “I” statements • One at a time • Focus • Cells/Pagers OFF – No Texting • Respect • Listen to each other

3. Goal & Objectives • Goal: Increase knowledge about the transference dynamic; normalize & employ transference and engage in self-care • Objectives: • Define transference • List two types of transference • List at least three “service barriers” unconscious transference can create • Identify at least two ways transference can be employed • Identify two ways transference can be managed

4. Introduction • Trainer • NDRI & TI • My background

5. Transference • Normal • Unconscious (usually) • Conscious (can be made so) • Happening right now

6. Role Pole - Activity • Large group • Who do I remind you of? • How do you feel about them?

7. Transference Defined • Unconscious redirection of feelings from one person to another • … inappropriate repetition in the present of a relationship that was important in a person’s childhood • … reproduction of emotions relating to repressed experiences, especially of childhood, and the substitution of another person… for the original object of the repressed impulses

8. History

9. History continued • Transference first described by Sigmund Freud, acknowledged its importance for psychoanalysis for better understanding of the patient’s feelings • Noted that many of his patients at some point begin to place certain feelings, romantic love or parental love, onto the therapist

10. History continued • Therapist could use this position/event to help restore the client to more normal feelings by responding in ways unlike that of the person upon which the original feelings were based • Corrective emotional experience (in therapy)

11. History continued • Carl Jung • …within the transference dyadbothparticipants typically experience a variety of opposites, that in love and in psychological growth, the key to success is the ability to endure the tension of the opposites without abandoning the process, …this tension allows one to grow and to transform

12. Types of Transference • Positive • Negative

13. Barriers & Benefits • Small groups • Brainstorm • Follow trainers instructions

14. NOT Therapy - Drug Court Application • Be aware • Strong feelings • Participants • You • Don’t panic - Normal • Use it; make it work for you • Act to care • Service interaction • Self

15. Vicarious Trauma, VT • People who work with people affected by trauma(s), past or current may be vulnerable to VT • VT described as cumulativeemotional, physical and spiritualtransformations experienced by people who work with traumatized populations

16. Benefits in Danger • The benefits you and participants experience are in danger if VT goes unacknowledged and unmanaged.

17. VT continued • VT affects workers in many obvious and subtle ways: • Feelings of fear, vulnerability • Difficulty trusting, aversion to forming relationships • Hopelessness about being able to make a difference in clients lives

18. VT continued • Cynical view of the world • Workers may experience parallel emotional reactions to their clients and mirror clients physical symptoms VT different than “burnout”, burnout usually due to the affect of concrete stressors, i.e. physical environment, work hours

19. VT continued • Individual Phenomenon • Cumulative Process • Different than counter- transference, intensifies over time with multiple clients (repeated exposures without relief) • Pervasive

20. VT Bottom Line • VT preventable & manageable • Workers can develop effective self-care plans

21. VT Bottom Line continued VT left unacknowledged, unmanaged inevitably leads to poor, unhelpful and potentially destructive worker/participant interactions

22. Self-Care • Hearing intense/traumatic human stories impacts those who listen • Ignored stress can accumulate into emotional, physical and spiritual transformations, VT • Your current or past history may make you more vulnerable

23. Self-Care continued • Know thy self • Check in with self to know thy self

24. ABCs to Self-Care Model • A = Awareness, self-aware, self-reflective • B = Balance, don’t let work become your life, maintain healthy boundaries, develop & maintain interests outside of work • C = Connect, don’t work in isolation (use your team) develop/maintain positive connections; reminders of rewarding elements of life

25. At Work Self-Care • Within your Court develop/use • Regular supportive supervision • Peer/team support • Informal socializing • Management initiated and supported efforts to bolster camaraderie (team spirit)

26. Use of Transference - Activity • Small groups • Not therapy; how to take care of service interaction & self • Follow trainers instructions

27. Final Thoughts • Transference is normal • It’s happening right now • Awareness & action are key • Use it; make it work for you • Take care of yourself – Act ABCs • Thank you

28. Protect The Most Valuable Resource