AIDSImpact.com:: - Santa Fe, USA 2011

Abstract #289 - Understanding countertransference in dealing with AIDS-hypochondriacs
Authors: Presenting Author: Mr. Karl Lemmen - Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe
Additional Authors: Mr. Werner Bock,
Method / Issue: AIDS-Hypochondriacs are frequent and time consuming callers in all ASO. Most counselling sessions with new clients start out with emphatic understanding of the enormous fears but end up with feelings of helplessness and anger in counsellors. Meanwhile representatives in German ASO estimate that AIDS-Hypochondriacs contribute a good deal to the burn out of helpline volunteers.
Results / Comments: The project started with an article in the Newsletter of the German Centre of Retroviruses focussing on the difference between AIDS-Phobia and AIDS-Hypochondria. This kind of distinction had not been drawn in the past. As a second step we offered a new training for counsellors. The goal of this one day regional workshop was to teach counsellors basics of the psychodynamics in hypochondria and to show them how their own counter transference is linked to the dynamics of the clients.
Discussion: Evaluation data of the first three workshops show how the training tool worked. The greatest challenge was to find an appropriate way of teaching the concept of counter transference. Meanwhile counsellors report that the training changed their attitudes and behaviours while dealing with Aids-Hypochondriacs.
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