Countertransference and the Therapist's Inner Experience

"If I had but one volume to recommend on countertransference to novice or experienced psychotherapists, researchers or teacher/trainers, it would be Countertransference and the Therapist's Inner Experience. Gelso and Hayes, two master clinicians and academicians, have provided a clearly written, incisive volume on countertransference that applies to all theoretical orientations and successfully bridges the clinical/research divide. I look forward to introducing my students to its conceptual richness and practical recommendations for managing countertransference in successfully conducted psychotherapy." - Stanley B. Messler, Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA 

"This is an extremely well-written, well-organized and accessible book, replete with multiple case examples and well-selected quotes… Perhaps the best feature though is how ‘experience-near’ it feels; this is a book not only for those interested in the topic of countertransference per se, but for all of us interested in improving our clinical skills. It will surely prove helpful to a wide range of practitioners, from those just beginning their graduate work to those who are experienced clinicians." - Barry A. Farber, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, USA

"In this comprehensive, even-handed treatment of the topic of countertransference, Charles Gelso and Jeffrey Hayes manage to be both clinically passionate and empirically dispassionate. Therapists, whether beginners or veterans, will appreciate the book’s practical wisdom and its consistent empathic attunement to subtle clinical realities. Researchers will value its conceptual clarity and breadth of scholarship. We have come along way since Freud first identified countertransference, and, as the authors point out, we need to go a lot further. Countertransference and the Therapist’s Inner Experience is a significant milestone on the journey." - Nancy McWilliams, Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA

Dr. Hayes is Professor of Counseling Psychology at Penn State University, where he has taught since 1993. He has held positions as Associate Editor of Psychotherapy Research, president of the North American Society for Psychotherapy Research, and chair of the Education and Training Committee for the American Psychological Association's Division of Psychotherapy. Dr. Hayes' primary scholarly interests are in the areas of countertransference, psychotherapy process, and the integration of spirituality and psychology. He maintains a private psychotherapy practice in State College, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Gelso received his doctorate in psychology from Ohio State University in 1970. His primary research and clinical interests throughout his career have focused on the therapeutic relationship in psychotherapy. Within this context, he has studied and written extensively about the working alliance, transference and countertransference, and what may be termed the reaql relationship in psychotherapy. Dr. Gelso has authored five books and numerous journal articles and chapters. He has been associate editor and editor of the Journal of Counseling Psychololgy, and currently is editor of Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice & Training. He has also been involved in the practice of individual psychotherapy throughout his career.