Five rules of thumb were offered to clarify the concept of transference: 1 transference is always an error; 2 transference may be positive or negative; 3 the emergence of transference is eased by therapist neutrality and ambiguity; 4 transference is not conscious; and 5 transferences are most likely to occurs in all therapies. Counselor transference, too, is a given. Countertransference is a potential aid to the therapist in understanding the client and the counseling process, if the therapist is willing to focus his or her attention on conflictual feelings that may be experienced toward the client.