Counselling & Psychotherapy Research最新文献

{"title":"Exploring Supervisor's Experiences When Delivering Psychological Supervision: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis","authors":"Toby King,&nbsp;Susan Ramsay,&nbsp;Helen Griffiths","doi":"10.1002/capr.70236","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.70236","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Although it is thought likely that clinical supervision places relational and emotional demands on the supervisor, supervisors' emotional and interpersonal experiences when delivering supervision are not well understood. This study investigated these ideas through interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Semi-structured interviews were used to explore eight registered psychologists' experiences of providing clinical supervision. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim for analysis.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Group experiential themes included supervisor vulnerabilities, inter- and intra-personal processes and the importance of reciprocity. Supervising evoked a strong sense of vulnerability in the participants, something many attempted to mitigate through demonstration of their skill and competency or self-regulation. Participants also described the fundamental importance of supervisor–supervisee relationships to supervision processes. Positive supervisory relationships engender epistemic trust, where rupture repair can occur readily and reciprocal learning can happen.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The findings have implications for supervisor training platforms, highlighting the need to further consider interpersonal and relational elements of supervision and acknowledging the feelings of vulnerability that can be engendered, even in experienced supervisors. Interpersonal interactions in an emotive relational space like supervision could be understood through the lens of mentalisation theory.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":"26 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/capr.70236","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149205679","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Targeting the Mind to Heal the Body: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Psychotherapists' Work With Medically Unexplained Symptoms","authors":"Lesley A. Kalish,&nbsp;Maria Luca,&nbsp;Chris Roe","doi":"10.1002/capr.70238","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.70238","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) can present complex challenges in psychotherapeutic practice, occupying an ambiguous space at the intersection of physical suffering and psychological distress. While MUS are predominantly managed within medical settings, there remains limited qualitative research exploring how psychotherapists understand and work with this client group. This study contributes to an emerging understanding of MUS as relational and embodied phenomena within psychotherapeutic practice.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aim</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study aimed to explore psychotherapists' lived experiences of working with patients presenting with MUS.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A qualitative design was used, involving semi-structured interviews with 14 psychotherapists. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Findings</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The analysis generated themes relating to embodiment, mind–body integration, developmental adversity, trauma, and the centrality of the therapeutic relationship. Participants conceptualised MUS as meaningful bodily expressions shaped by relational, emotional and developmental contexts, rather than as symptoms reducible to either psychological or physiological processes alone. Practitioners frequently linked MUS to trauma, encompassing both acute adverse events and more subtle, cumulative experiences such as emotional invalidation and childhood neglect. Participants described a form of clinical knowing that developed over time, grounded less in specific techniques and more in an embodied, relational stance. This stance was characterised by emotional attunement, warmth and a fundamental belief in the reality of the client's pain.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion and Implications</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The findings suggest that psychotherapy may provide a valuable context for working with MUS and chronic pain, particularly when clients experience safety, validation and relational depth. The therapeutic alliance emerged as central to both engagement and perceived therapeutic change, highlighting the potential importance of relational and trauma-informed approaches when working therapeutically with this population.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":"26 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/capr.70238","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149205757","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy of Transdiagnostic Emotion-Focused Therapy in the Treatment of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms: A Quasi-Experimental Study","authors":"Petr Mikoška,&nbsp;Ľubor Pilárik,&nbsp;Lukáš Novák,&nbsp;Michaela Ladmanová,&nbsp;Tomáš Bok,&nbsp;Martin Fülep,&nbsp;Ladislav Timulak","doi":"10.1002/capr.70234","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.70234","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study is among the first to assess the efficacy of teletherapy-delivered Transdiagnostic Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT-T) for university students with depression and anxiety symptoms.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Therapy was offered in a 12–16 session format. Forty students with depression and anxiety symptoms (diagnosed using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview) were assigned to eight certified therapists trained in EFT-T. Outcomes were assessed using several measures, with the Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale, Overall Depression Severity and Impairment Scale and the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation—Outcome Measure being the primary outcomes. The design consisted of a baseline assessment and a 4-week waiting period before the start of therapy and was followed by assessment at week 20 and 6-month and 12-month follow-ups.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The EFT-T showed large pre–post changes and similar outcomes across all measures, with these benefits largely retained at 6-month and 12-month follow-up.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study suggests that EFT-T can be a promising treatment for depression and anxiety symptoms in a clinical population of university students. Further investigation is needed to establish the potential of EFT-T as a treatment for the wider population with the above presentations.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":"26 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/capr.70234","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149145951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Attachment-Informed EMDR: Framework and Illustrative Case Study","authors":"Christine Ramsey-Wade,&nbsp;Mark Brayne,&nbsp;Yesim Arikut-Treece,&nbsp;Abigail Mathews","doi":"10.1002/capr.70226","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.70226","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Qualitative research with therapists has found that attachment-informed Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (ai-EMDR) is appreciated for its focus on the role of early attachment histories in the development of psychological distress. However, the approach is yet to be definitively demarcated.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aims</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The current study addresses this gap in the literature by setting out the ai-EMDR framework alongside a case study for illustration.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Materials &amp; Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In this single case, therapy was provided over 10 weekly sessions; outcome data were collected pre- and post-treatment and at every session.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>After an initial increase in distress, clinically significant improvements were observed in post-traumatic stress, complex post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression. Qualitative feedback indicated that this client found the therapy to be effective, with benefits experienced quickly, instilling hope for the future.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Discussion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This paper provides preliminary evidence that ai-EMDR may be an effective treatment for attachment-informed complex post-traumatic stress, while underscoring the need for further rigorous research to establish its efficacy and generalisability.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This paper provides the conceptual foundations for future clinical investigations of ai-EMDR for complex post-traumatic distress.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":"26 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/capr.70226","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149145948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring Healthcare Barriers and Content of Short-Term Psychodynamic Therapies Engaging With Adult Transdiagnostic Persistent Physical Symptoms (PPS): What Can Be Learnt to Enhance Physical and Psychological Healthcare Interventions for PPS? A Systematic Scoping Review (1999–2024)","authors":"Jean S. Penman,&nbsp;Jane Williams,&nbsp;Martin Gryszkiewicz-MacKenzie,&nbsp;Erica Cook","doi":"10.1002/capr.70205","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.70205","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Persistent physical symptoms (PPS) lasting more than 6 months represent a significant healthcare burden in the United Kingdom. PPS may not be disabling in terms of daily living but can deeply affect the wellbeing of an individual subject to ineffective healthcare provision. The barriers to implementing therapeutic interventions in healthcare require further enquiry. This paper supports the scope of what works to broaden beyond cognitive behavioural therapies (CBT) to discover a wider range of therapeutic interventions. Less well-understood brief psychodynamic therapies (BPTs) require further exploration of their content, specifically for PPS conditions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This scoping review aims to clarify the current definition and barriers to the delivery of effective PPS care, and to map common themes of PPS-effective BPTs for future research and practice.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A preliminary scoping (1999–2024) is undertaken to identify barriers to care inclusive of PPS definitions and the content of UK Professional guidelines. Next, quality-checked mixed-method studies of adult BPT interventions for PPS undergo pre-designed data charting (2001–2024). The BPT augmentations are mapped and thematically collated.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Barriers include an inconsistent definition of transdiagnostic PPS, the lack of effective care pathways and inadequate UK professional, CPD and clinical guidelines. BPTs with clinically relevant PPS reductions revealed strong and moderate quality evidence of longer term outcomes. A thematic analysis of the PPS-focused BPT content was achieved.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Several opportunities to reduce barriers to effective PPS care are readily identified. The indicative observations of effective outcomes and thematic mapping of the content of BPT indicate promise for enhancing PPS intervention development across disciplines. Further research into practice is required.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":"26 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149145922","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"When AI Sounds Supportive: Comparing Conversational AI and Therapist Responses to Mental Health Disclosures","authors":"Shriya Thakkar,&nbsp;Paras Bhatt,&nbsp;Harsh Parekh","doi":"10.1002/capr.70237","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.70237","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To compare artificial intelligence (AI) and therapist responses to real-world mental health (MH) disclosures and evaluate differences in empathy, safety practices and contextual usefulness.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We analysed 937 unique MH disclosures and 2749 therapist responses using the Counsel Chat dataset. For each disclosure, we generated a standardised AI response using a large language model. Responses were evaluated across empathy, safety and contextual usefulness measures using automated metrics, blinded human ratings of 120 therapist-AI response pairs, mixed effects regression models, and qualitative analyses of disagreement cases.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>AI responses scored higher than therapist responses on automated empathy (<i>β</i> = 0.30; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001), human-rated empathy (<i>β</i> = 0.38; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001), emotional validation (<i>β</i> = 0.40; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) and automated safety (<i>β</i> = 0.25; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). AI safety advantages were largest for self-harm or suicide-related disclosures. Therapists scored higher on specificity/personalisation (<i>β</i> = −0.62; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) and helpfulness (<i>β</i> = −0.23; <i>p</i> = 0.013); overall quality did not differ significantly.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>As conversational AI becomes an increasingly common source of MH support, AI responses may offer strengths in empathic communication and explicit safety-oriented guidance, whereas therapist responses were rated more highly for personalisation and contextual usefulness. These findings highlight different strengths across AI and therapist responses while underscoring the need for caution in interpreting response quality as clinical effectiveness. They also point to a potential role for conversational AI as an accessible first point of support within broader MH care systems, particularly where timely professional support is limited.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":"26 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149145656","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spiritual Humility and the Spiritual Use of Self: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Counsellors' Experiences in the Therapeutic Relationship","authors":"Jane Anderson,&nbsp;Gary Shepherd","doi":"10.1002/capr.70235","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.70235","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Spirituality remains a complex and sometimes contested dimension within counselling and psychotherapy practice. Although increasing attention has been given to spirituality in therapy, less is understood about how counsellors experience their own spiritual awareness within the therapeutic relationship.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aim</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study explored how counsellors' awareness of spirituality may impact upon the therapeutic relationship.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was employed to examine the lived experiences of five qualified counsellors and psychotherapists. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using an inductive, idiographic approach.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Findings</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Five experiential themes were identified: the relational impact of spirituality in the therapeutic relationship; the interplay of spirituality with humility; the therapist's openness to self, other and to something bigger; listening holistically with spiritual awareness; and the intrapersonal wrestle of the counsellor relating to spirituality in practice. Participants described spirituality as shaping therapeutic presence, relational depth, openness and holistic listening, while simultaneously requiring ongoing reflexivity and ethical sensitivity.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Discussion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study introduces two conceptual contributions: spiritual humility and the spiritual use of self. Spiritual humility is conceptualised as the interplay between humility and the therapist's spiritual awareness, enabling openness and responsiveness to clients' spiritual and existential worlds. The spiritual use of self is proposed as a dimension of the broader therapeutic use of self, engaged when spirituality forms part of the therapist's integrated professional presence.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":"26 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149145624","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mapping Global Research Trends in Art Therapy for Psychological Distress: A Bibliometric Analysis","authors":"Ezgi Merve Ertan,&nbsp;Aynur Karabacak-Çelik","doi":"10.1002/capr.70232","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.70232","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Art therapy is a psychological intervention that boosts emotional expression, enhances self-awareness and has increasingly been employed within mental health settings to alleviate psychological distress. Although extensive research has examined the art therapy interventions for reducing psychological distress, little is known about its bibliometric mapping.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Accordingly, this study aims to identify emerging research trends in the use of art therapy for psychological distress components through a bibliometric analysis. We retrieved 935 articles that met the inclusion criteria published between 1980 and 2025 in WoS Core Collection.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Results show that annual scientific production has increased, especially in recent years. The results also show that the cooperation between the United States and Israel is the most intensive, that the United States is the most productive country in terms of research trends, that Haifa University is the most productive institution and that Arts in Psychotherapy is the most preferred journal. The co-occurrence analysis findings revealed six primary thematic clusters: art therapy, cancer, stress, trauma, mindfulness and anxiety (items = 30, links = 189, total link strength = 1000). Thematic map results indicated that anxiety, depression, stress and trauma topics were basic, structuring themes. Thematic evolution results indicated that earlier studies mainly focused on health issues associated with cancer and medical problems; emerging topics expanded to incorporate general mental health problems including depression, anxiety, emotional regulation, psychological well-being and refugee's problems.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Results indicate a sustained and expanding scholarly interest in the role of art therapy in psychological distress components.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":"26 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149146951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cognitive Analytic Therapists' Experiences of Working With Ethnic Minority Clients: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis","authors":"Elin Margetts,&nbsp;Jenny Bowe,&nbsp;John R. E. Fox,&nbsp;Anam Elahi","doi":"10.1002/capr.70233","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.70233","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) is a relational therapy offered within the National Health Service (NHS). This study aimed to explore the experiences of therapists using CAT with ethnic minority clients, including how they engage with issues of power and identity which are often neglected in psychotherapy.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted remotely with seven cognitive analytic therapists who had experience of working therapeutically with ethnic minority clients. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Four Group Experiential Themes (GETs) were generated: (1) Broaching identity in CAT: Balancing relational risks and responsibility; (2) Navigating positionality and power within CAT; (3) Seeing the bigger picture: The power of integrating identity in CAT (4) CAT within the limits of unequal systems.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Acknowledging and exploring aspects of power and identity felt important and meaningful, with the model providing a strong framework for this work. Future research and clinical implications are discussed.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":"26 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/capr.70233","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149146529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Therapist Self-Regulation in Clinical Practice: A Grounded Theory of Adaptive Emotion Regulation Under Systemic Constraints in Iran","authors":"Hanieh Kamkar,&nbsp;Keyvan Salehi","doi":"10.1002/capr.70229","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.70229","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>While self-care is crucial for preventing compassion fatigue in psychotherapists, existing literature frequently reduces it to a prescriptive checklist of extracurricular activities, largely neglecting its embeddedness in the therapeutic process. This study aimed to develop a grounded theory explaining how therapists negotiate clinical self-regulation and emotional distress under specific systemic and cultural constraints in Iran.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Using a Systematic Grounded Theory approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 practicing psychotherapists (10 female, 9 male). Data were analysed using open, axial and selective coding until theoretical saturation was reached.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Analysis revealed ‘Contextualised Adaptive Self-Regulation’ as the core category. Instead of viewing self-care as a set of static external activities, the data showed it to be an ongoing, in-session metacognitive negotiation. Therapists continuously balance clinical demands against internal emotional strain. This process is heavily shaped by Iranian contextual pressures, including an absence of formal supervision and the cultural expectation to act as a ‘self-sacrificing healer’. As a result, therapists rely on moment-to-moment emotional monitoring and covert, micro-restorative behaviours to sustain their therapeutic presence.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Self-care in psychotherapy extends beyond lifestyle choices; it is a core clinical competency dictated by contextual boundaries. The Iranian setting illustrates how systemic scarcity forces clinicians to internalise regulatory mechanisms. These findings expand counselling psychology literature by framing therapist resilience as an active clinical negotiation integrated directly into practice, rather than an isolated after-hours activity.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":"26 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149048170","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}