Countertransference and spontaneous imagery in the therapeutic relationship

Dissertation submitted to the California Institute for Clinical Social Work in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Social Work.

1 Statement of the problem. 2 Literature review and theoretical framework. 3 Research design and methods. 4 Presentation of the findings. 5 Discussion of the findings

'The purpose of this research study is to investigate therapist countertransference as it is revealed in the spontaneous mental imagery which therapists experience during the treatment process. This study reflects three recent movements in the overlapping fields of psychotherapy and clinical social work: the increased study of mental imagery, the heightened interest and research into countertransference phenomena, and the recognition of the relevance of Jungian theory to the social work profession. This study attempts to synthesize certain perspectives of these three movements, and to generate new knowledge useful for clinical social workers.'

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