A case study exploring a trainee counselling psychologist's experience of coding a single session of counselling for therapeutic intentions

Abstract

Aim: This study explores the author's experience of coding a single session of her therapeutic practice with a client for her therapeutic intentions. Method and analysis: A session of counselling was audio-recorded, transcribed and coded for intentions using the Therapist Intentions List [Hill, C.E., & O’Grady, K.E. (1985). List of therapist intentions illustrated in a case study and with therapists of varying theoretical orientations. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 32, 3–22]. Following this, the trainee's journal entry focusing on the training exercise was analysed using tools from the grounded theory approach [Corbin, J.M., & Strauss, A.L. (2008). Basics of qualitative research. Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. London: Sage]. Findings: A core category of “Reflective learning: a process of ‘self-supervision’” was generated with four subcategories: (1) “experience of audio-recording a client session”; (2) “experience of transcribing a client session”; (3) “experience of coding for intentions”; and (4) “further reflections beyond the training exercise.” Discussion: The findings are consistent with literature suggesting that engaging in exercises promoting reflection on practice is experienced as beneficial in training. Furthermore, they are broadly consistent with the suggestion that transcribing and coding a session of counselling and reflecting on one's therapeutic intentions in a paper can be a “profound training experience” [Hill, C.E., Stahl, J., & Roffman, M. (2007). Training novice psychotherapists: Helping skills and beyond. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 44, 364–370, p. 368].