Approaching countertransference in psychoanalytical supervision: A qualitative investigation1

A recent examination of the literature concerning countertransference and its developments reveals its clinical usefulness in different psychoanalytical cultures. Nevertheless, a shortage of publications is apparent with respect to its approach in supervision. The authors aim in this study was to examine the concepts of transference and countertransference and how countertransference is approached in supervision, in the training of candidates, at an institute of psychoanalysis belonging to a society affiliated to the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA). Qualitative research was carried out, interviewing supervisors and supervisees. Through analysis of the material acquired, the authors classifi ed the data into initial, intermediate and fi nal categories. The principal fi ndings were subdivided into three categories: the concepts of transference and countertransference, psychoanalytical listening and the complementarity of the phenomena, and the approach to countertransference. The concepts of transference and countertransference predominantly used by those interviewed are based on the totalistic outlook. Countertransference in supervision has been approached in a more direct and objective way when compared with the previous period, although great care is taken to delimit the boundaries between supervision and personal analysis. The main aim of supervision is to broaden comprehension and to deepen the interpretations directed towards the patient. These fi ndings suggest that the evolution of the concept of countertransference in different psychoanalytical cultures and developments in the analytical fi eld are contributing to this change.     

PSYCHOANALYTICAL PSYCHOTHERAPY: Psychoanalysis and psychotherapy: A long and troubled relationship

The extended, inconclusive debate over distinguishing psychoanalysis and psychotherapy has been muddied by two underlying issues. The scientifi c identity that psychoanalysis claimed, leading it to affi rm that it was more than a treatment modality, was in confl ict with the actual therapeutic mission it assumed. Psychoanalysis was further hampered in those discussion by its internal confl icts over doctrinal purity; deviations for psychotherapeutic ends were vulnerable to the charge of dissidence. More recently, the debate has been clouded by the fact that newer candidates, by and large, can anticipate careers primarily as psychotherapists, driving a wedge between generations within institutes. The course of the debate and the problems encountered in it are affected by the formal relations between the psychoanalytic establishment and the health-care industry, including government agencies. In the long run, it appears to make little difference whether psychoanalysis is offi cially recognized as a mental-health treatment, as in Germany, or attempts to maintain its independence, as in the UK. Finally, as the debate appears to be winding down, the fate of dynamic psychotherapy is also in the balance. If in the past psychoanalysis seemed at risk of losing its specifi c identity, today dynamic psychotherapy is in danger as well.     

Understanding black issues in postgraduate counsellor training

This paper presents a brief account of a qualitative multicultural study and heuristic exploration of how trainee counsellors understand black issues in their training and in their therapeutic work with clients. This initiative is supported by a previous survey of black clients and therapists who suggest that changes are needed in training. It presents current legislation and need for equalities in Higher Education and counsellor training, by challenging the dominance of Eurocentric approaches. A pluralistic, flexible Action Research methodology will be outlined. The theory and context of previous studies are presented. Phases of the process are described to show how this study was approached. Phase one describes how interviews with a variety of experienced practitioners confirmed the need for the study. Using examples of trainees’ narratives, phase two describes how the phenomenon of black issues was integrated into training and the process of generating data. The paper shows how the explication process reveals elements of fear, history, guilt and racism, present in the dynamic of black issues. The paper highlights how racism features highly in trainees’ concerns and influences their ability to share and understand. A snapshot of emerging concepts such as ‘finding a voice’ and ‘recognition trauma’ which are developed to assist the reflexive process is featured. The role of the researcher and black trainees as ‘black expert’ is discussed. In the context of ethical concerns and working through the researcher's counter transference as a black female tutor researcher, the process of modelling within a participatory role is described. An excerpt from a discussion with colleagues gives an essence of the outcome. The outcome is summarised in the conclusion:'A bridge from fear to transformation’. The study enabled both trainees and staff as collaborators to shift from a position of fear and not knowing to engaging in active dialogue about black issues on a personal and professional basis.     

Multiple Realizability Intuitions and the Functionalist Conception of the Mind

A popular argument supporting functionalism has been what is commonly called the “multiple realizability” argument. One version of this argument uses thought experiments designed to show that minds could be composed of different types of material. This article offers a metaphilosophical analysis of this argument and shows that it fails to provide a strong case for functionalism. The multiple realizability argument is best understood as an inference‐to‐the‐best‐explanation argument, whereby a functionalist account of our mental concepts serves to explain our multiple realizability intuitions. I show that the argument is inadequate because alternative accounts of our mental concepts exist that provide equally plausible explanations for these intuitions. Moreover, in the case of our qualia concepts, a nonfunctionalist account explains several other intuitions that functionalism cannot explain. Thus, despite its popularity, the intuition‐based version of the multiple realizability argument is a poor reason for accepting functionalism.     

Transfer from “edible” categorization training to feeding behavior in pigeons (Columba livia)1

Abstract: We investigated a transfer from an operant experimental situation to a feeding situation in pigeons using real objects as stimuli. Four pigeons were trained in an operant box to categorize familiar edible items as positives and inedible items as negatives with a go/no‐go procedure. Next, two pairs of unfamiliar edible items were added as stimuli. One of the paired stimuli was arbitrarily assigned as positive and the other as negative. We tested the subjects in their home cages to see whether they would feed on the items they were trained to categorize as positives. In three of the six cases in which categorization training was successful, they continued to peck the positive items. This result suggests that the pigeons transfer what they learned in the operant training situation to the feeding situation.     

医学基本功与临床决策

医学的基本理论、基本知识和基本技能,是临床医生的基本功底,是医疗实践的基础。任何疾病的发生、发展和治疗,都不能背离人体的生理病理规律。所提供的10个病例,充分地指明,掌握医学的基本功和对病情直接、全面、充分、持续的了解,是十分重要的。     

Exact Interval Estimation, Power Calculation, and Sample Size Determination in Normal Correlation Analysis

This paper considers the problem of analysis of correlation coefficients from a multivariate normal population. A unified theorem is derived for the regression model with normally distributed explanatory variables and the general results are employed to provide useful expressions for the distributions of simple, multiple, and partial-multiple correlation coefficients. The inversion principle and monotonicity property of the proposed formulations are used to describe alternative approaches to the exact interval estimation, power calculation, and sample size determination for correlation coefficients. The author thanks the referees for their constructive comments and helpful suggestions and especially the associate editor for drawing attention to several critical results which led to substantial improvements of the exposition. The work for this paper was initiated while the author was visiting the Department of Statistics, Stanford University. This research was partially supported by National Science Council Grant NSC-94-2118-M-009-004. Request for reprints should be sent to Gwowen Shieh, Department of Management Science, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan 30050, ROC.     

血液净化防治多器官功能障碍综合征的思考

血液净化防治多器官功能障碍综合征已在临床医疗中广泛应用。简要介绍血液净化及多器官功能障碍综合征的相关知识。重点运用科学思维分别从系统论方法、控制论方法、信息方法三方面阐述两者间的内在联系,为临床工作提供新的指导。     

Providing Practicing Teachers Classroom Management Professional Development in a Brief Self-Study Format

This study examined the impact of a time efficient self-study method for providing practicing teachers with job-embedded professional development targeting specific classroom management skills. The training method employed print packets and videotapes that provided models of effective classroom management strategies for instruction-giving, praise, and time out. Participants were three master’s level speech therapists certified to teach speech and language delayed preschool children. The training materials were evaluated through observations of the teachers’ implementation of targeted practices in a multiple baseline across participants. Results indicated increases in all participants use of the management skills after training. The results suggest that this type of training method may help teachers increase their use of effective classroom management procedures. It is potentially noteworthy that the training program examined herein was largely teacher managed and was quite brief. Future directions and limitations of the study are discussed.Natalie J. Slider is now at Brownsburg Community School Corporation.