Cultural Countertransference of Young Clinicians Facing a State of Possession: A Cultural Case Study.
Culture, medicine and psychiatry February 9, 2026 Manon Arminot, Lara Haghiri Ghazvini, Thierry Baubet et al.
Possession states present a complex challenge in transcultural psychiatry. When a Somali patient experiencing possession was treated in a transcultural consultation group, young clinicians witnessed a trance and experienced cultural countertransference. Using the Cultural Formulation Interview, the clinicians' countertransference evolved, leading to a deeper understanding of the symptom and improvement in the patient's condition. This case demonstrates the importance of addressing cultural countertransference among young clinicians in transcultural consultations.