Freud's concepts of transference and transference neurosis: reassessed

Abstract

The authors investigate Freud's concepts of transference, transference neurosis and their mutual relationships. They discuss the current criticism made on the concept of transference neurosis and pose the question of why patients accept the analyst's interpretation. They suggest understanding transference neurosis in the sense of conscious transference manifestations, referring to the analyst, which are the outcome of his successive interpretations of the type “just-like” followed up, changed, and removed again by “just-like-it-was- then “-interpretations. The authors conclude that the patient does not accept these interpretations for rational reasons, but rather for reasons pertaining to the transference situation itself

Key words:

• transference
• transference neurosis
• substitutive formations
• interpretation