In the
unreal world that is
psychotherapy, this is considered
a good thing. Good, in the sense that once a patient/client starts
projecting his beliefs and fears onto the
therapist a clearer picture of what
really is bothering the person comes to light. When the discussion moves to why the client feels the therapist is
acting a certain way it is an opening to why the client is acting that way (or afraid to act a certain way).
The act or process of projection, although a defense mechanism, is fuel for the theraputic process. A standard way to tell when this process is occuring is when a client begins to comment on how the therapist is not "sharing of himself" and is closed off from the client (similar to transference).