COUNTERTRANSFERENCE AS THE ANALYSTS EXPERIENCE OF THE ANALYSAND - INFLUENCE OF LISTENING PERSPECTIVES

In addressing the analyst's experience of the analysand, countertransf erence is an ever-expanding construct. In keeping with the totalist pe rspective, I propose that the analyst's experience of the patient, ins tead of the term countertransference, more fully captures the complexi ty of the analyst's involvement and correctly places it as a central g uide for inquiry and interventions. Our moment-to-moment experience of the patient is shaped not only by the patient, but also by our listen ing perspective, be it a subject- or other-centered vantage point, our models, and our subjectivities. The analyst experientially can resona te with the patient's affect and experience from within the patient's vantage point-that is, the subject-centered listening perspective (sel f psychology's emphasis); the analyst can experience the patient from the vantage point of the other person in a relationship with the patie nt, called the other-centered listening perspective (frequently the em phasis in object relations and interpersonal, approaches). I am propos ing that the analyst's listening from within and without, oscillating in a background-foreground configuration, can illuminate more fully th e patient's experience of self and of self in relation to others.