Entering the therapists's world: Experiences of psychotherapists in India

Abstract

Introduction The arena of therapist's perspectives and experiences has been inadequately represented in psychotherapy research. Along their professional journey, practitioners often have a myriad of experiences in the therapeutic process that influence their therapeutic interactions. Aim The present study aims to discuss the personal and clinical experiences of trained psychotherapists that influence their choice of the profession and psychotherapy practice. Methods Snowball sampling technique was used to recruit 10 trained psychotherapists for the purpose of the study. Audio-recorded interviews were held individually with each of the participant using a semi-structured interview schedule developed for the study. The interview schedule was reviewed by 2 experts with more than 10years of experience in psychotherapy. Qualitative data was subjected to thematic analysis. Results All psychotherapists identified an integral relationship between their individual belief systems and psychotherapy practice. Role of training, influence of mentors, significant experiences with family members and peers, significant childhood experiences, client characteristics, therapists' emotional responses to clients and the therapist's own beliefs about mechanisms of change were important factors in the psychotherapy process and were seen as significant internal experiences that underlie the psychotherapy process.