Countertransference and Related Experiences of Psychologists Serving Suicidal Patients

Abstract

This study examined countertransference and other experiences of therapists serving suicidal patients. A survey was constructed to assess for aversion, narcissistic injury and similar iatrogenic constructs. Participants offered both Likert scale responses and spontaneous unstructured comments. Likert data were analyzed quantitatively. Content and phenomenological analyses were applied to the comments. The findings suggest that a substantial number of therapists treating suicidal patients experience negative countertransferences. The implications for training, treatment and supervision are discussed.