Which term describes the phenomenon when a counselor feels strong emotions based on a client's issues?

The phenomenon where a counselor experiences strong emotions based on a client's issues is known as countertransference. This occurs when the counselor subconsciously projects their own feelings, biases, or past experiences onto the client, often as a reaction to the client's emotional state or circumstances. In this context, the counselor's emotional responses can influence their perception and interaction with the client, making it essential for the counselor to maintain awareness of these feelings to ensure effective and objective counseling.

Countertransference can stem from a variety of sources, including the counselor's own unresolved issues or personal experiences that resonate with the client's situation. Recognizing countertransference is crucial for counselors, as it allows them to process these feelings appropriately and prevent them from interfering with the therapeutic process.

The other terms — transference, empathy, and resistance — describe different concepts in the therapeutic relationship and do not apply to the counselor's emotional reaction to the client in the same way. Transference refers to the client projecting feelings onto the counselor, empathy involves understanding the client's feelings without emotional entanglement, and resistance is related to the client's reluctance to engage in the therapeutic process. Each of these terms plays a unique role, but they do not describe the counselor's emotional responses like countertransference does