Transference is a phenomenon in psychology characterized by
unconscious redirection of feelings of one person to another. For
instance, one could mistrust somebody who resembles an ex-spouse in
manners, voice or external appearance; or be overly compliant to
someone who resembles a childhood friend. In a therapy context,
transference refers to redirection of a client's feelings from a
significant person to a therapist. Counter-transference is defined
as redirection of a therapist's feelings toward a client, or more
generally as a therapist's emotional entanglement with a client.
Transference was first described by Freud, who acknowledged its
importance for psychoanalysis for better understanding of the
patient's feelings. Transference is often manifested as an erotic
attraction towards a therapist. It's also common for people to
transfer feelings from their parents to their partners (emotional
incest) or to children (cross-generational entanglements). Although
transference is often characterized as a useful tool for building
trust between a client and a therapist, transference can also
interfere with a therapist
