Countertransferential Manifestations in the Therapeutic Process of a Patient with Borderline Personality

Abstract Patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are typically unstable and intense in their feelings and behaviors, easily arousing negative emotional reactions in their therapists. Therefore, managing countertransference is essential for psychotherapy with these patients. The present systematic case study aims to describe countertransferential manifestations in the therapeutic process of the first year of a psychoanalytical therapy with a BPD patient, broadening the empirical knowledge on how countertransference interacts with the patient’s variables. The sessions (n=59) were codified by pairs of independent judges trained with the Psychotherapy Process Q-Set (PQS), a q-sort with 100 items that give a description of the patient, the therapist and of the interaction variables that typify the treatment. Experts in psychoanalytical psychotherapy selected six PQS items as indicative of countertransferential reactions and 12, as indicators of mental states and behaviors characteristic of patients with BPD. These items were examined in relation to time. Findings reveal predominance of therapeutic attitudes compatible with positive countertransference.