Eine Untersuchung der Gegenübertragung in der psychosozialen Arbeit mit Geflüchteten

Germany currently hosts the world’s third largest population of refugees. As a result, encounters between practitioners in different psychosocial fields of work and refugees have become more frequent. The initial results of recent research suggest that practitioners undergo specific patterns of experience when working with refugees. From a psychodynamic perspective these patterns can be described as countertransference. This study assessed whether practitioners in psychosocial professions experience typical countertransference reactions when working with refugees. Furthermore, it investigated how these countertransference reactions are characterized and to which factors these reactions relate. To investigate this, qualitative structured interviews were conducted with five practitioners in this field. These interviews were later analyzed using the method of summarizing content analysis. The study found a variety of countertransference reactions that were prevalent in those consulted in their psychosocial work with refugees, which could be typical for professional work with refugees in general. Moreover, feelings of responsibility for the perspectives of refugees, of uncertainty of one’s role as well as defence and rejection also repeatedly arose in countertransference. In addition, these countertransference reactions could be linked to overarching factors, such as the influence of trauma or of policies concerning the judicial status of refugees. These hypothesis-generating results provide starting points for further research and could be applied in training and supervision. In addition, they could provide food for thought for structural improvements in the care system for refugees.