Enhance your preparation for the Individual Practice SWES Test. Access comprehensive flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with detailed hints and explanations. Equip yourself today!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


What does transference typically reveal about a client's feelings in social work treatment?

  1. Responses based on unconscious desires

  2. Responses arising from historical and realistic considerations

  3. Responses related to familial relationships

  4. Responses reflecting the societal norms

The correct answer is: Responses arising from historical and realistic considerations

Transference typically reveals responses based on unconscious desires. In the therapeutic context, transference occurs when clients project feelings, expectations, and attitudes from past relationships onto the therapist. This often reflects unresolved conflicts and emotional experiences rooted in early interactions, especially those with significant figures like parents or caregivers. While transference may also be influenced by a client's past experiences and their current psychological state, it primarily sheds light on deeper, often unconscious feelings that the client may not be fully aware of. These can manifest as various emotional reactions, showing that the client is re-experiencing their internal world through their relationship with the therapist. By recognizing and exploring these transference reactions, social workers can help clients gain insight into their emotional challenges and the underlying issues impacting their present relationships. Understanding that transference includes unconscious desires provides a pathway for therapeutic progress, as addressing these feelings can lead to significant healing and development.