Researchers Misunderstand Transference

Researchers Misunderstand
Transference

Some interesting research findings on child protection based on observations of social workers as they conducted long-term casework with children and families is available to read online: Hostile relationships in social work practice: anxiety, hate and conflict in long-term work with involuntary service users by Harry Ferguson et al [See link below]. It provides a realistic portrayal of the emotional component in social work practice. It also raises questions about the effectiveness of long-term safeguarding work with resistant parents.

The paper examines the uncertainties and dilemmas in child protection work by applying psychoanalytic theory to social work practice with parents who showed sustained resistance to social work intervention. It applies 'transference' theory to ongoing relationships between social workers and their clients and, although this produces interesting ideas, it is of limited value in analysing the dilemmas regarding state intervention into family life. Furthermore, the failure to elict the social workers' views of their function and task makes it difficult to understand how the hostile relationships had been allowed to develop. In situations of seriously contested social work practice it is often a good idea to look back to an earlier stage of work where a different approach might have produced a more collaborative approach.

The researchers initial explanation of the theory of transference and counter-transference is so muddled and misleading it seems these concepts were never fully understood. Without any reference to Freud's belief in the importance of the unconscious in adult life and the persistence of infantile conflicts and anxieties, readers might struggle to make sense of the meaning of notions of 'transference' and 'counter-transference' in this paper.

The concept of 'transference' comes from psychotherapy and describes the way patients 'transfer' feelings about an important person in their early lives onto the therapist. When a person goes into therapy the nature of the relationship formed with the therapist offers clues as to what is going on in the patient's unconscious and the dynamics of this relationship will therefore be of enormous interest to the therapist. Many patients find therapy gives them the opportunity to bring to the surface thoughts and feelings that have been forgotten. At the same time the transference on to the therapist, who acts as a container for painful and confused feelings and offers insights into the reasons for their distress, may enable them to re-work unsatisfactory earlier experiences. The therapist's role is essentially to facilitate the development of a more authentic sense of self and more fulfilling relationships.

In child protection work social workers find themselves working in a hostile climate a great deal of the time. It is almost inevitable that clients will 'transfer' feelings that have their origins in early life on to the social worker, who is perceived as a parent figure due to being in a position of authority. A client's style of relating to the social worker will also be influenced by their own deep-rooted beliefs and assumptions about relationships. To a large extent this is part of their identity and tends to be resistant to change.

The parents of children at risk of abuse or neglect are often people with complex problems and terrible experiences from their own childhood which need to be understood and tackled if appropriate help is to be given to the family. They are likely to act out their problems in relation to the social worker and the social worker immediately becomes caught up in the family’s cycle of suspicion and hostility. If these parents are to be helped to change the social worker will need to acknowledge and work with the disturbed and disturbing feelings. The ability to establish a good-enough level of understanding and trust between the social worker and parents is essential if social work intervention is to be effective and risks to children reduced.

The legal and political mandate of 'safeguarding' has allowed social workers to extend the area of their professional work using safeguarding skills, with the aim of reducing the need to use their powers under the Children Act 1989. The social worker may try to be a caseworker who tries to tackle problems of individual psychology and material deprivation but there are limits on what can be achieved with parents who resist social work help, or at least are ambivalent about it. The defensiveness of parents and their reluctance to talk openly about problems may inhibit them from accepting help of any kind. Parents often fear that any signs of their not coping may be used by social workers as evidence against them.

The concept of 'counter-transference' is the social worker's reaction to a client's 'transference' and the tendency to project feelings unconsciously onto the client, either in a positive or negative way. Some social workers may have blind spots which inhibit the development of a genuinely collaborative working relationship or make them over-identify with someone in the family. Possibly what has drawn some social workers into this work has been painful and difficult relationships in the past and these difficulties may or may not be fully resolved.

Donald Winnicott has had a huge influence on my own thinking about social work practice in child protection. His ideas about personal growth and development have always interested me and given me an insight into the ways an understanding social worker can offer clients the opportunity to work through unresolved issues from the past. It was therefore very disappointing to see his paper on 'Hate in the Counter-Transference', in which he describes the ambivalent feelings of the therapist in analytic work with a psychotic patient, used to explain 'counter-transference'. It seems obvious that his thoughts about the issues for a therapist working with a mentally ill person cannot be applied to a child protection social worker working with an aggressive parent who has not sought help.

One case in Ferguson's research shows the difficulties for social workers in working with a mother who was previously known to children's services. ‘Roberta Dixon’ had two children, who were not in her care but resident with their relatives for the past two years, and she saw them occasionally. They had been on child protection plans due to concerns about physical abuse. Roberta was now pregnant and described in the referral as having a history of violent and abusive relationships, where she was at times suspected to be the perpetrator. It was also said that she had a history of drug use and mental health problems. Social workers always visited in pairs because Roberta was regarded as dangerous.

The researchers were not interested in understanding the application of legal rules in this case - such as Roberta's right to refuse to let social workers into her home. They apparently took it for granted that social workers with a safeguarding approach should be allowed in. Obviously, social workers had grave concerns about the safety of the unborn baby and believed they had a professional obligation to try to work with Roberta on a voluntary basis. However, at the point of initial referral the case was treated as not urgent and it was only seven weeks later that the first visit was made.

The social workers in this case seemed to be driven by anxiety, feelings of powerlessness and occasionally fear for their own safety. They were aware of the primacy of their monitoring role. This is bound to happen when working with very resistant parents. However, it is absurd to suggest that the problems they experienced arose out of their own 'counter-transference' feelings towards Roberta. I also reject the subtle inference in this paper that the social workers needed a more therapeutic approach.

Children's services is under enormous pressures. The case of Roberta highlights the urgent need to address the problem of mothers who have lost their children who then go on to have replacement babies. Safeguarding social workers face enormous challenges in this situation. It is essential that pre-birth assessments are only carried out by people who are appropriately trained and supported for this work. A project has been set up in Newport by Barnardo's and Newport City Council called Baby and Me - which provides pre-birth assessments and supports families through pregnancy and beyond. This type of specialist service should be rolled out across the country.

Hilary Searing