Immigrant therapists' unresolved identity problems and countertransference

The difficult task of identify formation is greatly complicated by immigration in childhood or adolescence. This paper shows how the unresolved identity problems stemming from their immigration to Israel in childhood or early adolescence of three young therapists, two from Ethiopia and one from Russia, affected their countertransference in their treatment of their adolescent clients from their own countries of origin. The three examples are based on art works produced by the therapists and their clients in the framework of workshops on the integration of art therapy techniques into verbally based diagnosis and treatment. The paper highlights the need to help immigrant therapists recognize their own identity conflicts and resulting countertransference, as well as the identity issues of their immigrant clients.