The personal self of psychotherapists: Dimensions, correlates, and relations with clients

Objective The personal self of psychotherapists, that is, experiences of self in close personal relationships and its association with therapists' individual and professional attributes is explored. The study aimed to: (a) describe therapists' self‐ratings on specific self‐attributes; (b)...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of clinical psychology 2020-03, Vol.76 (3), p.461-475
Main Authors: Orlinsky, David E., Rønnestad, Michael Helge, Hartmann, Armin, Heinonen, Erkki, Willutzki, Ulrike
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Factor Analysis, Statistical
Female
Humans
Interpersonal Relations
Male
Middle Aged
personality
Professional-Patient Relations
psychotherapists
Psychotherapists - psychology
psychotherapy
relationships
Self-Assessment
social interaction
Surveys and Questionnaires
Temperament
Therapists
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Objective The personal self of psychotherapists, that is, experiences of self in close personal relationships and its association with therapists' individual and professional attributes is explored. The study aimed to: (a) describe therapists' self‐ratings on specific self‐attributes; (b) determine their dimensionality; (c) explore demographic, psychological, and professional correlates; and (d) assess the convergence with professional self. Method Data from the Development of Psychotherapists Common Core Questionnaire were available for > 10,000 psychotherapists of various professions, theoretical orientations, career levels, and nations. Results Most psychotherapists described themselves in close relationships in affirming terms (e.g., warm/friendly), although a substantial minority also described themselves in negative terms. Factor analyses yielded four dimensions: Genial/Caring, Forceful/Exacting, Reclusive/Remote, and Ardent/Expressive. Being Genial/Caring was associated with life satisfaction. Among professional attributes, personal self‐experiences, and parallel dimensions of relationship with clients correlated strongly. Conclusions Analyses of > 10,000 psychotherapists revealed meaningful variations in personal self relevant to personal and professional life.
ISSN:0021-9762
1097-4679
DOI:10.1002/jclp.22876