Countertransference in Trauma Work in South Africa: For Better or Worse

Abstract

Working with victims of political violence evokes strong countertransference reactions in mental health workers. Professionals and lay counsellors alike comment on the intensely demanding, stressful and sometimes invigorating nature of this work. Despite these acknowledgements, however, there is a dearth of literature on the countertransference experiences of therapists engaged in trauma work. This gap is especially pronounced in the available literature on trauma work in South Africa. In this paper the author considers some of the reasons for this omission and then presents the results of interviews with 20 therapists engaged in work with individuals traumatized by political violence (i.e. former detainees and refugees from vigilante violence). Specific countertransference themes are identified and discussed.