A Phenomenological Study on Countertransference in Parent Counseling Among Married Novice Youth Counselors Without Children

Objectives This study explores the countertransference experiences of married novice youth counselors without children in parent counseling and examines their coping and growth processes. Methods IThis study applied Colaizzi’s phenomenological method to deeply explore participants’ experiences and their essential meanings. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews (90-120 minutes) with eight married novice youth counselors without children, who had 2 to 5 years of counseling experience. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed following Colaizzi’s process, including repeated data review, extraction of meaning units, categorization of themes, and identification of the essential structure. Results The analysis revealed 103 meaning units, 26 sub-themes, and 10 main themes were derived. The main themes identified were: Excessive Efforts to Compensate for the Lack of Parental Experience, Subtle Relational Struggles in Parent Counseling, Intense Emotional and Physical Reactions Toward Parents, Drifting Aimlessly in the Maze of Counseling, Deep-Rooted Shadows That Boomerang Back, Turning Points Emerging at Dead Ends, Leveraging Countertransference for Professional Growth, Mutual Growth with Parents Through Authentic Relationships, Building Resilience Through Real-World Practice, and Acceptance of Absence as a Foundation for Growth. Conclusions Findings highlight how married novice counselors without children experience anxiety, self-doubt, and countertransference, influencing their counseling relationships and professional development. Their excessive efforts to compensate for the lack of parenting experience lead to relational conflicts and confusion, but they gradually transform countertransference into a resource for growth. This study emphasizes the importance of training and supervision in helping counselors recognize and manage countertransference effectively.