Who would study psychology if they didn't have some kind of problem?

Chapter 381 [Transference] and [Countertransference]

In this group counseling session, Teacher Zhao not only served as a group counselor but also as a group counseling learner.

—She needs to learn how to intervene in students using group counseling.

Clearly, she encountered a problem she couldn't understand during the group counseling session.

Fortunately, she was lucky. The teacher would let the students study and do the problems on their own, and at most give them the answers so that they could do the problems once and then check their answers themselves.

Teacher Zhao's situation is that the person who sets the questions is right next to her.

However, considering the depth of information processing, Nan Zhuren still asked Teacher Zhao to review the situation himself first.

"What parts of that passage did you understand, and what parts did you not understand? Recite what you understood, and list the parts you didn't understand as questions."

Nan Zhuren directly handed a sheet of A4 paper to Teacher Zhao, telling her to sit down and review the events while her memory was still relatively clear.

This has now become a real educational institution.

It feels a bit like doing homework.

But Teacher Zhao was happy to do it.

Nan Zhuren then began tidying up the projector, putting the tables and chairs back in their places, and so on.

By the time he had almost finished restoring the activity room, Teacher Zhao had also finished tidying it up.

"Teacher Nan, our group counseling today has two main objectives. First, we need to soothe and intervene in the guilt and anxiety of some students, and at the same time, we need to correct the cognitive distortions of another group of students."

Nan Zhuren nodded.

"Then it was conducted in the form of group counseling because people with similar experiences can provide each other with a kind of invisible comfort."

Teacher Zhao's retelling wasn't very formal, but it was quite accurate.

"Using emotions as a starting point, the prison video is used to bypass the students' potential defenses, and Lin Junkai is used as a role model to inspire everyone's growth..."

Teacher Zhao explained each point in detail, all of which she had understood.

Nan Zhuren nodded.

"But I didn't see the part with Jun Kai and Zhang Zihao at the end. I can't guess your purpose, teacher."

Nan Zhuren accurately analyzed Teacher Zhao's words and offered a new interpretation: "You don't understand why I stopped Lin Junkai from continuing to speak and defended Zhang Zihao. You also don't understand my subsequent intervention plan regarding Zhang Zihao, do you?"

Teacher Zhao nodded repeatedly; this was exactly what she was wondering about.

"Yes, firstly, I don't think the last part is necessary. Even in group counseling, there's always a free discussion session at the end, right? Jun Kai's remarks weren't actually that outrageous. I actually think Teacher Nan, you're a bit too strict..."

Ms. Zhao spoke very directly because she genuinely wanted to learn. It's perfectly normal to be so direct in academic exchanges; it's essential for efficiency.

In a sense, this is why when different schools of psychology hold exchange meetings, they almost beat each other senseless.

Nan Zhuren nodded: "Firstly, the first reason is that I'm using this as an excuse to make a fuss."

"……what?"

Whom are they using this as an excuse to make a fuss about? Are they using Jun Kai as an excuse to make a fuss about?
Teacher Zhao never expected this reason.

Nan Zhuren nodded and said, "During our daily interactions and group counseling sessions, I noticed that Lin Junkai was being a little too respectful towards me. I suspect he's developed feelings for me."

"……what?"

Nan Zhuren's tone was somewhat worried.

“This is not unimaginable. Lin Junkai was previously suppressed and even isolated in Wang Rui’s team for a long time. Our intervention in this situation not only gave them a sense of security, but also may have played the role of a ‘senior with the same ideas’.”

“He’s just a high school student. It’s normal for him to release those long-suppressed emotions, develop a dependence on us, and then experience transference,” Nan Zhuren pondered. “It’s not impossible for him to even see me as a new leader.” “But I hope he can think independently. He has the ability, or at least the potential, to do so. So I need to appropriately lower my rating in his eyes and distance myself from him.”

Teacher Zhao blinked.

"After I leave, Teacher Zhao, you should also keep this in mind when you interact with your students."

"Ah...yes!" Teacher Zhao immediately replied.

……

Empathy is indeed a very serious problem.

In particular, Ms. Zhao had been confessed to by a male student... Although it sounds strange, she is extremely sensitive to and averse to anything related to empathy.

The question has been answered.

After absorbing the answer in silence for a while, Teacher Zhao asked another question: "What about the part about protecting Zhang Zihao? Was it to maintain group fairness in the group counseling?"

"However, when Zhang Zihao had a bad experience before, you didn't pay much attention, and you didn't comfort him afterwards." Teacher Zhao's intuition was very sharp. "I feel like you're contradicting yourself a bit; I don't quite understand..."

Teacher Zhao looked at her notebook and voiced her questions.

When he looked up, he saw Nan Zhuren staring straight into his eyes.

"……scare?"

If it were any other time, Teacher Zhao would be delighted to be stared at by such a handsome face and such a pair of bright eyes.

She blushed now, not from shyness, but from nervousness.

At that moment, she felt as if she had made a basic mistake in her undergraduate thesis defense, which was causing her to be stared at by her professor.

Nan Zhuren sighed: "Teacher Zhao—are you experiencing countertransference?"

“?…!”

Teacher Zhao blinked hesitantly, then her pupils suddenly dilated.

Nan Zhuren blinked as well: "When you speak, you always refer to Lin Junkai as 'Junkai,' but when you mention Zhang Zihao, you always use his original name, 'Zhang Zihao.'"

"Is it because of the dual relationship?"

"Without realizing it, you've completely taken on the role of 'teacher,' haven't you? Lin Junkai is the 'good student,' and Zhang Zihao is the 'bad student'?"

……

This is true.

In the eyes of Teacher Zhao, who witnessed the entire incident.

Lin Junkai has been resisting Wang Rui's influence all along, and then seized the opportunity to fight back, bravely confronting his nightmare and personally obtaining the key evidence to defeat Wang Rui.

Zhang Zihao not only followed Wang Rui's orders, but also extended them to harm his classmates. Even now, he is still defending Wang Rui and arguing with Nan Zhuren.

Seeing all this, Teacher Zhao naturally distinguished between good and bad.

However, if it were Teacher Zhao, who had just graduated and come to Jiangyi Middle School a year ago, there would definitely not be this difference in attitude.

This perspective stemmed from Ms. Zhao's identity as a "teacher".

In the group counseling session just now, Teacher Zhao, along with Lin Junkai and others, had another role besides "group counselor-group member": "teacher-student".

Clearly, this dual relationship is now having an impact.

(End of this chapter)