Therapist’s emotional responses to the patient (or countertransference) can be considered as a
source of valuable diagnostic and therapeutic information, as well as play a crucial role in the
psychotherapy process and outcome, especially with the adolescent patient. However, empirical
literature has paid little attention, to date, to the therapist-patient relationship in the treatment of
adolescents and only a few studies has sought to explore countetransference reactions elicited by
this patient population. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between therapist’s
emotional responses and personality pathology and psychological functioning of the adolescent
patient. A random national sample of clinical psychologists (N=70) completed the Therapist
Response Questionnaire for Adolescents (TRQ-A) to identify patterns of countertransference, and
the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure-200 for Adolescents (SWAP-200-A) to assess
personality disorders and styles in a randomly selected patient currently in their care and with
whom they had worked for a minimum of eight sessions and a maximum of ten months. Results
showed that there were significant relationships between therapists’ responses and patients’
personality pathology and psychological functioning. Antisocial-psychopathic and narcissistic
personality disorder were associated with angry/frustrated countertransference. Emotionally
dysregulated personality disorder was associated with overinvested/worried therapist response.
Bored/angry at parents therapist response was associated with avoidant-constricted personality
disorder. Healthy and inhibited-self critical personality styles were associated with warm/competent
countertransference. Overall, personality pathology of the adolescent patient are mostly related to
consistent therapists’ emotional responses, which suggests that clinicians can make diagnostic and
therapeutic use of their responses in the psychotherapy with adolescents