Mental Health ATI Practice Exam

Transference behavior in a therapeutic relationship occurs when a client projects feelings, attitudes, or desires onto the nurse that are rooted in past relationships, particularly those from childhood or significant experiences. This can manifest in various ways, including idealization, dependency, or conflict.

When the client accuses the nurse of being controlling, it reflects an emotional response that is likely linked to prior experiences rather than the current situation. This reaction indicates that the client is transferring feelings of being controlled from a previous relationship or authority figure onto the nurse. Such dynamics reveal the client's unresolved issues and can serve as a critical opportunity in therapeutic settings for exploring these underlying feelings and facilitating insight and growth.

In contrast, while asking the nurse to go out to dinner might reflect a desire for connection, it doesn't necessarily indicate transference. Similarly, reminding the nurse of a deceased friend may evoke personal feelings for the nurse, but it doesn't imply that the client is transferring emotions onto the nurse. Lastly, expressing anger and threatening self-harm indicates emotional distress but does not specifically highlight transference in the same way as projecting feelings about control does. Therefore, the accusation of the nurse being controlling signifies a classic example of transference behavior.