Counselling & Psychotherapy Research最新文献

{"title":"‘Therapy Through the Lens of Autism’: Qualitative exploration of autistic adults' therapy experiences","authors":"Jessica Pappagianopoulos,&nbsp;Sophie Brunt,&nbsp;Jessica V. Smith,&nbsp;Michelle Menezes,&nbsp;Mya Howard,&nbsp;Eleonora Sadikova,&nbsp;Christina Burroughs,&nbsp;Micah O. Mazurek","doi":"10.1002/capr.12861","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12861","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Autistic adults are at increased risk for mental health (MH) conditions. As such, there is a need for effective MH care services that meet the unique needs of autistic clients. However, a deeper understanding of the therapy experiences and preferences of autistic adults is necessary to inform future enhancements to clinical practice for this population.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aim</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study aimed to qualitatively examine the perspectives of autistic adults regarding past MH therapy experiences through semi-structured interviews.Method: Autistic adults (<i>N</i> = 19, ages 21–51 years) completed a demographics survey and participated in individual interviews to share experiences and recommendations.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Findings</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Reflexive thematic analysis revealed three over-arching themes and eight sub-themes. Overall, findings highlight therapeutic approaches that are important to autistic adults. Specifically, participants emphasised the value of the following strategies: (1) cultivating a safe space informed by an understanding of autism; (2) demonstrating a flexible and collaborative approach to therapy that is responsive to clients' needs; and (3) considering clients' preferences regarding talking in session when supporting personal growth and skill development.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Limitations</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study was limited by a relatively non-diverse sample in terms of racial and ethnic identity and potential recall bias due to the retrospective nature of the investigation.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":"25 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/capr.12861","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143786923","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":"‘It overshadowed everything’: Understanding working-class clients' experiences of social class differences within the therapeutic relationship","authors":"Anna Katie Jones,&nbsp;Tanya Lecchi","doi":"10.1002/capr.12867","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12867","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Little is known about the experiences of working-class clients in psychological therapy. This qualitative study explores how social class differences are experienced within the therapeutic relationship by six clients from a working-class background.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Materials &amp; Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Semi-structured interviews were conducted with women in Britain who self-identified as working-class and had engaged in therapy with clinicians whom they perceived to be from a higher class background than themselves. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the data.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Findings</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study identified three superordinate themes: a meeting of two worlds, class in the implicit relationship and managing difference. The findings indicate that class differences have a significant impact on both the therapeutic relationship and on participants' view of themselves.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Discussion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>For some, addressing social class differences helped to alleviate internalised classism and address the impact of structural oppression. However, when clients felt judged, misunderstood or perceived a lack of empathy, they began to disengage and hide parts of their experiences related to social class. As such, the findings have significant implications for how class differences within the therapeutic relationship might be addressed in psychological therapy.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":"25 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143786936","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":"‘I'm a tough cookie’: An IPA study of the experience of burnout in trainee counselling psychologists","authors":"Angelina Archer","doi":"10.1002/capr.12868","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12868","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Counselling psychology training consists of several professional, academic and personal demands. Poor management of these demands could lead to trainees experiencing burnout and potentially dropping out from training. The existing literature primarily focuses on the stressors of counselling psychology training or the effects of burnout in general, but the research is sparse on burnout being a potentially useful learning experience for trainees. The aim of this paper was to present the experiences of eight third-year trainee counselling psychologists, with a specific focus on how burnout influenced their development as they approached the end of their training. This paper was written from a larger doctoral research thesis.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In-depth, semi-structured interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results and Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Four themes emerged from the analysis: A perfect storm: The demands of counselling psychology training, Treading on shaky foundations, Ripple effect of the training and Rebuilding from the ashes: Learning from burnout. The overall findings suggested burnout was characterised as perseverance through unaddressed difficulties, shame and significant personal upheaval from the training process. However, most trainees learned from their experience of burnout and reported developing greater resilience and self-awareness. Recommendations and areas for future research are also discussed in this paper.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":"25 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143787344","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":"Counsellor considerations for providing helpful therapy practices for clients living with low income","authors":"Skylar Rego,&nbsp;Marguerite Lengyell,&nbsp;Charlotte Finnigan,&nbsp;Melissa Jay,&nbsp;Jason Brown","doi":"10.1002/capr.12863","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12863","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Individuals with low income frequently face unique challenges and stressors that heighten their need for mental health support. However, research on the most effective interventions for enhancing services for this population is limited. This study aimed to address this gap by exploring counsellors' perspectives on what has been helpful when working with low-income populations.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Counsellors were invited to share their personal and professional experiences through interviews, responding to the question, ‘What have you found to be the most helpful aspects of counselling with clients facing low income?’. Counsellors were also invited to complete a sorting task using the interview responses.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The sorted responses were analysed using Group Concept Mapping, identifying six key concepts: accessibility to counselling services, providing advocacy and resources, addressing basic needs, therapeutic approaches, therapeutic relationship, and understanding barriers.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>These results were contextualised within the existing literature, and recommendations were offered for counselling practices and future research.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":"25 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/capr.12863","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143787009","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":"University and college counselling services in Scotland: One-on-one counselling amid the student mental health crisis","authors":"Annabella Feeny,&nbsp;Fabienne dos Santos Sousa,&nbsp;Pierre Musa Halime Wessel","doi":"10.1002/capr.12858","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12858","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Scotland is facing a student mental health crisis. With 60% of university students and 54% of college students reporting moderate-to-severe symptoms of depression in recent research (Maguire &amp; Cameron, 2022; Maguire et al., 2022), Scottish university and college counselling services have emerged as an indispensable source of support for students. Although counselling services may be involved in many activities, one of their primary functions is to provide one-on-one counselling to students experiencing mental health difficulties.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study aimed to provide a better understanding of the challenges facing Scottish university and college counselling services in providing effective and accessible one-on-one counselling.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We filed Freedom of Information requests to all 27 registered colleges and 19 Scottish universities to request quantitative data on their counselling services.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results and Discussion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We identified three key challenges facing university and college counselling services. First, we demonstrate that demand for college and university counselling services has rapidly increased over the past decade, resulting in longer waiting times for one-on-one counselling at several institutions. Second, we demonstrate that male students and first-year students are underrepresented in counselling, which may reflect structural barriers in accessing counselling support. Lastly, we found that even though most university and college counselling services are not designed to offer long-term counselling support for ‘at-risk students’, few institutions have set up external referral pathways into community mental health teams. The college and university sector must address these challenges to ensure equitable access for effective counselling support for all students.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":"25 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/capr.12858","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143786824","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":"How therapists take stock of therapeutic progress at the end of initial assessment","authors":"Thomas Bradshaw,&nbsp;Amanda Le Couteur,&nbsp;Melissa Oxlad","doi":"10.1002/capr.12862","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12862","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background and Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Cognitive behavioural therapy has a significant attrition rate, yet little is known about how therapists work to encourage clients to continue in therapy. This study aimed to understand how therapists might encourage clients to continue therapy attendance.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Using conversation analysis, we analysed regularities that occurred between the information gathering phase and rebooking in a corpus of initial psychology interviews.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We describe a commonly occurring ‘stock-taking’ activity wherein therapists discussed progress through a set of interrelated concerns (clients' problems, problem causes, problem interventions, and positive outcomes). Both clients and therapists oriented towards stock-taking being enacted in service of encouraging clients to continue with therapy.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>These findings offer practical guidance about one way that therapists might encourage clients to continue therapy. We also discuss implications for future research and clinical practice.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":"25 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143787004","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":"Clients' narratives of healing and harm in psychotherapy: A qualitative method","authors":"Seyed Vahid Tavallaei,&nbsp;Samaneh Najarpourian,&nbsp;Yaser Rastegar","doi":"10.1002/capr.12855","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12855","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Purpose</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>For decades, researchers have acknowledged the potential for negative effects in psychotherapy, highlighting the need for further investigation. However, a clear understanding of the nature and definition of harm within this context has remained elusive. Efforts were made to clarify terminology such as ‘side effects’ and ‘negative effects’, but a consensus on the extent and definition of harm has continued to evade the field. Notably, existing research on negative effects has often prioritised expert and therapist perspectives, neglecting the crucial insights offered by the client's subjective experience of harm.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study adopted an exploratory approach, employing qualitative research methods. To uncover and illuminate past experiences of harm within the therapeutic context, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 participants (15 female, 6 male) who reported perceiving their psychotherapy sessions as harmful. Data analysis utilised the theoretical framework of Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory approach, facilitated by the MAXQDA2020 software.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study results offered a comprehensive examination of factors contributing to client-perceived harm in psychotherapy, categorised as both client-related and therapist-related. Additionally, the definition of harm was explored through the lens of emotional and cognitive experiences. The client's reaction to perceived harm (submission, avoidance and compensation) and the therapist's course of action vs. the client's reaction (corrective and justifying) respectively, can cause consequences (strengthening the therapeutic alliance and the client's healing or individual and interpersonal impacts) from the client's perspective.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A significant finding was the lack of attention paid to the interpersonal nature of psychotherapy in past understandings of harm. The results highlight the potential for harm in any therapeutic relationship, regardless of the therapist. This potential appears to be particularly heightened when therapists display a lack of responsiveness to clients' internal experiences, especially through justifying comments in response to client-reported negative experiences within the therapeutic relationship. Based on these findings, the study offers clinical recommendations for therapists to enhance their responsiveness and mitigate potential harm.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":"25 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143786822","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":"Stability of response styles in a personality measure: Evidence with clinical adolescents","authors":"Pei-Chen Wu","doi":"10.1002/capr.12859","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12859","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In counselling and psychotherapy, individuals may exhibit response styles when completing personality measures, potentially distorting comparisons of inter- and intra-differences. However, previous research has primarily focused on nonclinical samples and cross-sectional data, leaving gaps in our understanding of the stability of response styles and their impact on clinical samples. This study aimed to fill gaps in knowledge by applying a mixed Rasch model to explore response style stability in a personality measure in clinical adolescents.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study sample consisted of 290 clinical adolescents (112 males and 178 females) who were experiencing depressive symptoms and receiving continuous treatment for at least 2 years. Each participant completed a personality assessment at four time points with a six-month interval between each assessment. To comprehensively examine the stability of response styles over an extended period, this study utilised mixed Rash modelling to analyse enduring response patterns using data collected at the initial (T1) and fourth (T4) assessments, which were spaced 2 years apart.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Using mixed Rasch modelling, the results showed that the extreme response style (ERS) and middle response style (MRS) were the two most common response styles in the five domains of the Big Five Inventory-21 at T1 and T4. The ERS and MRS remained stable throughout the mental health intervention. There was no gender-related relationship found for response styles in the data at separate time points (T1 and T4) or in the longitudinal data (long-format data). Importantly, the findings revealed that odds of a clinical adolescent changing their personality response style (ERS → MRS or MRS → ERS) increased by 1.15 times with each unit increase in depression score.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Researchers and practitioners should be aware that the stability of the ERS and MRS for a personality measure may result in response style-based explanations for findings obtained from longitudinal data, such as trait stability or trait change over waves.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":"25 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143787286","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":"The journey of therapists diagnosed with psychiatric disorders in adolescence","authors":"Elif Yüksel,&nbsp;Esin Çalışkan,&nbsp;Eylül Ceren Demir","doi":"10.1002/capr.12853","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12853","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Although psychotherapists' motivations in choosing the profession have been investigated, there is not enough information in the literature about how personal motivations affect their choice of becoming a psychotherapist. For this reason, this study aimed to reveal the reasons why therapists who received a psychiatric diagnosis during adolescence chose this profession and their relationship with the disease.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To explore this, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five female psychotherapists in Turkey who had a psychiatric diagnosis between the ages of 12 and 18 years and had at least a clinical master's degree and practical experience. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used in the research.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Findings</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Three superordinate themes and nine subthemes depending on these superordinate themes were created: the first theme, ‘Identity’, has three subthemes; the second theme, ‘Why I chose this profession and what I found’, has five subthemes; and the final theme, ‘Being a diagnostic psychotherapist’, has two subthemes.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study suggests that incorporating therapists' personal experiences into supervision may contribute to improved professional skills, patient interactions and the overall effectiveness of therapy.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":"25 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143787197","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":"Therapists' lived experiences of identifying with sensory processing sensitivity: A phenomenological inquiry","authors":"Elizabeth C. Roxburgh,&nbsp;Mel Wright-Bevans","doi":"10.1002/capr.12857","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12857","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study explored the lived experiences of therapists who self-identify as being highly sensitive persons (HSP), otherwise termed sensory processing sensitivity (SPS). SPS is an innate personality trait identified by deeper processing of information, overarousal, emotional intensity and sensory sensitivities (Aron &amp; Aron, 1997). Of particular interest in this study was how being both a therapist and a HSP impacts on participants' well-being and therapeutic work.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 10 qualified therapists. There were nine females and one male, with ages ranging from 34 to 59 years, length of practice ranging from 2 to 15 years and length of time identifying as HSP ranging from 6 months to 12 years. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (Smith et al., 2022).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Findings</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Two group experiential themes were derived which have implications for therapists' training, practice and supervision. Participants felt that their heightened sensitivity helped them to establish relational depth with clients quickly and that they had an intuitive understanding of the nuances of clients' issues, which was often an embodied experience. They also spoke about the importance of processing time and setting boundaries to avoid burnout.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>There is a need for increased awareness about SPS in counselling and psychotherapy training, supervision and practice. Future research may find it fruitful to explore whether SPS has an impact on therapeutic outcome.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":"25 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/capr.12857","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143786800","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}