Transference BEST is defined as:

• A. Inability of a social worker to engage in appropriate boundaries with a client
• B. Inability of a client to engage in appropriate boundaries with a social worker
• C. Redirection of a client's feelings toward a social worker
• D. Redirection of a social worker's feelings toward a client

Answer: (C)

Transference is when a client unconsciously redirects or projects feelings, attitudes, and desires from important people in their past onto the social worker. This often shows up as the client reacting to the worker as if they were a parent, partner, or other significant figure, bringing up strong emotions like love, anger, fear, or longing that aren’t really about the present relationship. Understanding transference helps the social worker see underlying unresolved issues and patterns in the client’s relationships, guiding how to respond with empathy, appropriate boundaries, and reflective exploration of those feelings within the helping relationship. It’s important to differentiate this from countertransference, which is the social worker’s own emotions triggered by the client.