Abstract
Background: Psychotherapy is effective, but knowledge about how it produces change is insufficient. Researching how skilled therapists obtain change in naturalistic settings is recommended as a fruitful research strategy to advance this knowledge. Aims: We studied how skilled therapists from various affiliations experience their own contribution in specific therapies, and how they integrate therapeutic techniques. Method: We performed semi-structured in-depth interviews with 12 experienced therapists from various affiliations, and analysed transcripts with an explorative and reflexive systematic qualitative approach. Results: We report the overarching theme of maintaining double awareness to provide a relational space for growth, achieved through three concrete themes: (1) tailoring the therapeutic frame to relational struggles, (2) using embodied empathy, and (3) creating meaning from the perspective of a theoretical model. Themes are common across therapeutic modalities. Conclusions: We discuss how the themes offer a relational contextualisation that allows for a constructive understanding of the place of theory and technique in therapy.
Acknowledgement
We thank the participant therapists for their open and sharing participation in this study.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Christian Moltu
Christian Moltu is a Clinical Psychologist specialising in adult clinical psychology, working in the public healthcare system. He also holds a researcher/teacher position at the University of Bergen. His professional interests are relational, emotion-focused and integrative approaches to psychotherapy.
Per-Einar Binder
Per-Einar Binder is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Bergen, and is trained in psychodynamic psychotherapy with children and adults, as well as mindfulness approaches. His professional interests are relational, emotion-focused humanistic, and mindfulness-based approaches to psychotherapy.