Psychological aspects of genetic counseling. VIII. Suffering and countertransference

Two common forms of countertransferential problems seen in genetic counseling, associative and projective, are described and illustrated. Both forms have the potential of reducing the quality of empathy counselors provide counselees. When counselors experience the same problems as the counselees they counsel it is virtually impossible to avoid facing countertransferential reactions which may not always promote the counselees' interests and/or redound to their benefit. Genetic counselors, like other personal counselors and psychotherapists, have a professional responsibility to be aware of, monitor, contain, and learn from their countertransferential experiences.