Recognizing and utilizing projective identification in brief psychodynamic therapy: A case example

Abstract

Projective identification is a means by which clients unconsciously communicate their affective, and often intolerable, experiences. Being on the receiving end of a client's projective identifications can be elusive, confusing, and intense; consequently, the information afforded by projective identification is often disregarded in the therapeutic process. This paper will provide a case example of the author's personal affective and clinical experiences with a 19-year-old client to illustrate the process of recognizing and utilizing projective identification in brief psychodynamic psychotherapy. Implications and challenges for utilizing projective identification in brief therapy are discussed.KEY WORDS: projective identification; brief therapy; countertransference; object relations.The use of one's self as a therapist to comprehend the complexities of the client and the clinical relationship is an essential aspect of psychodynamically informed practice. Often both the content and the manner by which clients communicate their unique experiences are unconscious and will remain unknown to them unless the therapist can be an aware recipient of such communication and effectively process and give meaning to projected feelings. One such method of unconscious communication is projective identification, which involves 267

Madness and defence: Interventions with sexually abused children in a low-income South African community

“…Since projective identification suggests that we split good or bad parts of ourselves off and locate these in others whilst remaining connected to the expulsions through unconscious identification, sexually abused children may project their split-off parts into their therapists in an attempt to make them experience the same intolerable 'madness' (Klein, 1932(Klein, /1975Mancillas, 2006;Waska, 2007). As a result, therapists might be left feeling like the children -intruded upon, burdened, defeated, contaminated and exploited (Cunningham, 1999;Schauben & Frazier, 1995).…”

Child Sexual Abuse Workers’ Emotional Experiences of Working Therapeutically in the Western Cape, South Africa

“…Projective identification suggests that good or bad parts of oneself are split off and located in another whilst a connection to this expulsion is maintained through unconscious identification (Klein 1932(Klein /1975Mancillas 2006;Waska 2007). Splitoff parts of the child clients might be projected into their social workers so that they can also experience the intolerable conflict.…”

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