Meaning in Life: Perspectives of Experienced Chinese Psychotherapists

• Published in: Psychotherapy (Chicago, Ill.) Ill.), 2022-03, Vol.59 (1), p.26-37
• Main Authors: Duan, Changming, Hill, Clara E., Jiang, Guangrong, Li, Danyang, Li, Yanqing, Zhang, Shasha, Yan, Yunci, Yu, Lixia, Lu, Ting
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: China; Clients; Female; Human; Humans; Life Satisfaction; Male; Meaningfulness; Professional-Patient Relations; Psychotherapist Attitudes; Psychotherapists; Psychotherapy; Qualitative Research; Readiness to Change; Responsibility; Therapists
• ISSN: 0033-3204; 1939-1536
• DOI: 10.1037/pst0000395

We attempted a cross-cultural replication of Hill et al.'s (2017) consensual qualitative study of experienced Western therapists' perspectives on working with meaning in life (MIL) in psychotherapy. We thus interviewed 12 experienced Chinese therapists about their views on MIL, working with MIL in psychotherapy, and the meanings they derived from working as psychotherapists. Chinese participants typically defined MIL as involving freedom, responsibility, and valuing life and viewed MIL as underlying many clients' presenting concerns and thus playing a critical role in therapy. In terms of working with clients on MIL, therapists described specific intervention strategies (e.g., challenging clients to broaden their meaning) and related outcomes (e.g., enhanced motivation to change). They further indicated that for MIL work to be effective, therapists need to be competent for working with MIL and clients need to be aware of MIL issues and ready to work with them. Therapists also reported that they gained both personal and professional benefits from working with MIL in psychotherapy. A comparison with Hill et al. (2017) indicated some similarities (e.g., both viewed MIL as part of human existence and as underlying most client presenting concerns) and differences (e.g., Chinese therapists perceived MIL as involving a sense of responsibility to others whereas Western therapists did not mention this) between Chinese and Western therapists regarding MIL in psychotherapy. Clinical Impact Statement Question: Does meaning in life (MIL) have a role in psychotherapy in China; and if so, how can it be addressed to produce positive therapeutic outcomes? Findings: Like Western therapists, experienced Chinese therapists viewed MIL as playing a critical role in therapy and underlying all client presenting concerns. They believed that by encouraging clients to broaden their meaning, clients would have more motivation to change. Therapists stressed the importance of therapist preparation for working with MIL and client readiness to explore MIL. Meaning: Integration of MIL into therapy should be an area of attention in both clinical practice and research in China. Next Steps: Training is needed to help increase therapist competency in doing MIL work in therapy. The cultural aspects of MIL need further study.