The Therapeutic Relationship

Transference, Countertransference, and the Making of Meaning (Carolyn and Ernest Fay Series in Analytical Psychology)

By: Ms. Jan Wiener

Narrated by: Wendy Tremont King

While C. G. Jung had a natural intuitive understanding of the transference and countertransference, his lack of a "coherent method and clinical technique for working with transference and his ambivalence and mercurial attitude to matters of method," have, in the words of therapist and Jungian scholar Jan Wiener, sometimes left Jungians who are eager to hone their knowledge and skills in this area "floundering and confused."

Her aim in this important book is to lay the groundwork for the development of a "more contemporary Jungian approach" to working with transference and countertransference dynamics within the therapeutic relationship. Her work is also informed by knowledge from other fields, such as philosophy, infant development, neuroscience, and the arts.

In The Therapeutic Relationship, Wiener makes a central distinction between working "in" the transference and working "with" the transference, advocating a flexible approach that takes account of the different kinds of attachment patients can make to their therapists. She develops her own concept of the transference matrix, a model that honors one of Jung’s core beliefs in the development of a symbolic capacity as an essential task of psychotherapy, but at the same time acknowledges that a capacity to symbolize can only emerge through relationship.

©2009 Jan Wiener (P)2014 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

" . . . an extraordinary book which provides a lucid overview of the phenomenon of transference and countertransference in the context of Jungian psychology." ( Journal of Analytical Psychology)

" . . . goes to the heart of clinica practice and its controversies while maintaining a clarity and ease of expression in traversing complex areas of experience. . . the reader is left both interested and enlivened. . . the clarity of the format and presentation will make it a useful teaching text." ( British Journal of Psychotherapy)

"Using her extensive knowledge of analytic theories and her considerable experience as a clinician and a training analyst, Jan Wiener has written a humane and brilliant reflection on the therapeutic relationship. This work will stand as a high point in Jungian literature for many years to come." (Murray Stein, author, Jung's Map of the Soul)

Excellent information for clinicians!

This is an excellent refresher book on transference and counter-transference for clinicians as well as a great resource for the student of psychotherapy.
~ Daniel P. David, PhD

for psychotherapist

good for therapists looking to learn more about the theoretical background of transference. has a particular focus on Jungian approach with Allan Shore, Dan Siegel and polyvagal sprinkled in.