When a client avoids talking about a difficult topic in therapy, such as an abusive relationship with a parent, saying, "I don't want to discuss it," this is known as transference.

This is not an example of transference. Avoiding a difficult topic in therapy may be a defense mechanism or a sign of discomfort, but it is not necessarily related to transference. Transference refers to the unconscious redirection of feelings, attitudes, and behaviors from past relationships onto the therapist or other people in the present.