Therapists' projection: the effects of therapists' relationship themes on their formulation of clients' relationship episodes.

In this analogue study, therapists identified the core conflictual relationship themes (CCRT; wishes, responses of others, and responses of self) in relationship episodes taken from multiple clients in Luborsky and Crits-Christoph (1998). Judges identified the therapists' own CCRT using the Relationship Anecdotes Paradigm (Luborsky, 1990). Profile similarity analysis was used to examine the relationship between therapists' CCRT and the CCRT that they identified. Projection was identified by a significant relationship between the therapists' own CCRT pattern and the CCRT pattern that they rated in relationship episodes from Luborsky and Crits-Christoph, especially for wishes. The therapists' tendency to project was moderated by therapeutic experience and receipt of personal therapy.