title: Countertransference in the initial visit of women victims of sexual violence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify demographic and clinical correlates associated with therapists' countertransference feelings on the first visit of women victims of sexual violence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty patients were seen by 26 therapists, during 2 consecutive years, at the Center for the Study and Treatment of Psychological Trauma, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre , Brazil. After the first visit with the patient, the therapist completed the Assessment of Countertransference Scale and the patient was evaluated with the Davidson Trauma Scale, the Standardized Assessment of Personality - Abbreviated Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Defense Style Questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The therapists showed a predominance of feelings of closeness (Mean = 5.42, SD = 1.25) in relation to the feelings of indifference (Mean = 1.82, SD = 1.22) and distance (Mean = 1.57, SD = 1.08) [p < 0.001]. Multivariate analyses did not present significant associations between countertransference feelings and clinical characteristics of patients. The gender of the therapists did not influence the pattern of countertransference feelings. In the subgroup of female therapists, we detected an inverse correlation between a higher probability of patients' personality disorders and feelings of closeness in the therapists.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We did not detect a differential pattern of countertransference feelings associated with specific clinical characteristics. Therapists of both genders presented a similar pattern of feelings of empathy towards women victims of sexual violence, although the gender of the therapist may moderate the feelings evoked by patients with increased likelihood of personality disorders.
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. marianae.ez@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eizirik
authors.forename: Sidnei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schestatsky
authors.forename: Letícia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kruel
authors.forename: Lúcia Helena Freitas
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Ceitlin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003379:Countertransference; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires