Daniela Wiethaeuper

Mental states as part of countertransference responses in psychotherapists facing reports of traumatic events of mourning and sexual violence.

Abstract The study aims to compare the mental states and countertransference responses of 92 psychodynamically oriented psychotherapists, male and female, experienced and inexperienced, facing written reports of real patients who experienced traumatic events. Two vignettes were presented: one of a sexual violence, the other the sudden death of a significant person. The Mental States Rating System (MSRS; Bouchard, Picard, Audet, Brisson, & Carrier, 1998), the MSRS Self-Report (Goldfeld & Bouchard, 2004), and the Inventory of Countertransference Behavior (ICB; Friedman & Gelso, 2000) were used. Results showed that the mourning vignette led to more reflective responses (MSRS) and the rape case was associated with more negative countertransference reactions (ICB). Female participants were more reflective (MSRS); male therapists used less mentalized states (MSRS Self-Report) and expressed more negative reactions (ICB) for both scenarios. Experienced therapists showed more positive reactions on the ICB. The construct validity of the instruments is discussed in relation to the findings.

Adaptação transcultural do Mental States Rating System para o português brasileiro

INTRODUCTION: This article presents a cross-cultural adaptation of the Mental States Rating System, a content analysis scale applied to spoken, written or taped material, which covers a wide range of countertransference categories. METHOD: The following steps were performed: conceptual equivalence, item equivalence, semantic equivalence, operational equivalence, functional equivalence, and approval of the final version by the author of the original instrument. RESULTS: The study has reached the objectives of equivalence, and the final Brazilian Portuguese version has been approved by the original author. CONCLUSION: The study provides a Brazilian Portuguese version of an instrument that not only covers all the range of categories encompassed by countertransference described in the literature, but also expands it through the Mental States Theory. This represents a valuable tool for research on psychotherapy and psychoanalysis, where countertransference has proved to be an important resource, especially for the treatment of diseases based on early stages of development, for severe mental diseases and severe trauma.

Adaptação transcultural do Inventory of Countertransference Behavior (ICB) para o português brasileiro

OBJECTIVE: This article presents a cross-cultural adaptation of the Inventory of Countertransference Behavior into Brazilian Portuguese. The Inventory of Countertransference Behavior is a 21-item scale designed to assess countertransferential behavior. This scale, which should be completed by the supervisor after a supervised session, comprehends countertransference and its positive and negative categories. METHOD: The following steps were performed: conceptual equivalence, item equivalence, semantic equivalence, operational equivalence, functional equivalence, and approval of the final version by the author of the original instrument. RESULTS: The study reached the objectives of equivalence, and the final Brazilian Portuguese version was approved by the original author. CONCLUSION: This adaptation provides a Brazilian Portuguese version of a practical instrument to assess positive and negative countertransference. It represents a valuable instrument for therapists, supervisors and researchers on psychotherapy and psychoanalysis, where countertransference has proved to be an important resource, especially to the treatment of diseases based on early stages of development, as well as to severe cases and severe trauma.