Now Available—Uncertain Feelings, Feeling Uncertain: A Simulation-Based Study on Countertransference in Clinical Social Work
Ruxandra Gheorghe, a PhD Candidate with the School of Social Work, alongside members of the SIM Lab, recently published the article titled Uncertain Feelings, Feeling Uncertain: A Simulation-Based Study on Countertransference in Clinical Social Work. The article is published in the Clinical Social Work Journal.
This simulation-based study with 8 social work clinicians and trainees examines how countertransference intensifies during moments of clinical uncertainty. Findings show that uncertainty can trigger negative countertransference (e.g., frustration, judgment), that countertransference can itself become a source of clinical uncertainty by disrupting focus and decision-making, and that clinicians’ ability to recognize and regulate these reactions is key to managing both. The study points to the need for reflective supervision and training that helps clinicians navigate this interplay in practice.