**Reaction Formation** is when a client does the opposite of what they're feeling.
- Example:
- A client with an alcoholic father only dates people who do not drink
- Somebody with hostile feelings acts overly nice instead
**Projective Identification** is when a person evokes an emotion they're feeling in somebody else, instead of feeling it themselves.
- Example:
- A client feels angry but can't tolerate it. Instead, they unconsciously poke at their therapist until they are irritated. Now the therapist is the angry one.
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Related Notes:
- [[Marriage & Family Therapy]]
- [[Bowen Family Therapy]] - maybe?
This note was originally created on **March 10, 2026**.