Transference occurs when the client responds to the therapist as though they were someone significant from the client's past (e.g., a parent).

• A. A significant figure from the past (parent).
• B. A friend
• C. A stranger
• D. The therapist's colleague

Answer: (D)

Transference is when a client unconsciously redirects feelings and expectations from significant people in their past onto the therapist. In practice, the client might respond to the therapist as if the therapist were a parent or another important figure, re-creating those old dynamics within the therapeutic relationship. This pattern is a window into unresolved conflicts and can be explored in therapy to understand how past relationships influence current behavior and attachment. Describing transference this way highlights that it’s about projecting a past relationship onto the present relationship with the therapist, rather than simply treating the therapist as a friend, a stranger, or someone unrelated. A related concept therapists watch for is countertransference, where the therapist’s own past experiences color their reactions to the client.