Clinical Psychologists’ Experiences of Accessing Personal Therapy during Training: A Narrative Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18552/ijpblhsc.v3i2.238Keywords:
, clinical psychology training, narrative, personal therapy, qualitativeAbstract
The objectives of this study were to explore the experiences of trainee clinical psychologists who utilised therapy whilst training, and its role in their personal and professional development. Ten clinical psychologists were recruited, and asked to share their story of accessing personal therapy during training. Data were analysed using narrative analysis, which led to the development of four chapters: Chapter one explores the context of being a trainee clinical psychologist whilst experiencing therapy, including stressors encountered during training. In chapter two, participants discuss the stigma they felt in accessing personal therapy. Through chapter three, participants describe the journey of therapy itself, including difficult emotions they experienced and events such as ‘the ending’. Finally, chapter four details the personal and professional impact of their therapy journey. It is concluded that personal therapy can provide both personal and professional support to trainee clinical psychologists. However, some barriers may affect individuals seeking such support. The clinical and professional implications of these findings are discussed, in addition to recommendations for future researchReferences
Atkinson, P. (2006) ‘Personal therapy in the training of therapists’. European Journal of Psychotherapy and Counselling 8 (4), 407–410 doi: 10.1080/13642530601038055
Barnett, M. (2007) ‘“What brings you here?” An exploration of the unconscious motivations of those who choose to train and work as psychotherapists and counsellors’. Psychodynamic Practice 13 (3), 257–274. doi: 10.1080/14753630701455796
Bellows, K. F. (2007) ‘Psychotherapists’ personal psychotherapy and its perceived influence on clinical practice’. Bulletin of the Meninger Clinic 71 (3), 204–226. doi: 10.1521/bumc.2007.71.3.204
Bike, D. H., Norcross, J. C., and Schatz, D. M. (2009) ‘Processes and outcomes of psychotherapists’ personal therapy: Replication and extension 20 years later’. Psychotherapy Theory, Research, Practice, Training 46 (1), 19–31. doi: 10.1037/a0015139
British Psychological Society (2002) Criteria for the Accreditation of Postgraduate Training Programmes in Clinical Psychology. Leicester: British Psychological Society.
British Psychological Society. (2006) Division of Counselling Psychology. Professional practice guidelines. Leicester: BPS. Available from www.bps.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/professional_practice_guidelines_-_division_of_counselling_psychology.pdf [15 December 2014]
British Psychological Society. (2009) Code of Ethics and Conduct. Leicester: BPS. Available from <http://www.bps.org.uk/what-we-do/ethics-standards/ethics-standards> [28 April 2014]
British Psychological Society. (2013 ) The Alternative Handbook for Postgraduate Training Courses in Clinical Psychology: 2013 Entry. Leicester: British Psychological Society
British Psychological Society: Division of Clinical Psychology. (2015) Personal Therapy. [online] available from http://www.bps.org.uk/networks-and-communities/member-microsite/division-clinical-psychology/personal-therapy [20 November 2015]
Byatt, A. S. (2000) On Histories and Stories: Selected Essays. London: Chatto and Windus
Cain, N. R. (2000) ‘Psychotherapists with personal histories of psychiatric hospitalisation: Countertransference in wounded healers’. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal 24 (1), 22–28 doi: 10.1037/h0095127
Clark, M. M. (1986) ‘Personal therapy: A review of empirical research’. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice 17 (6), 541–543 doi: 10.1037/0735-7028.17.6.541
Coffey, A. (1999) The Ethnographic Self: Fieldwork and the Representation of Identity. London: Sage
Corrigan, P. (2004) ‘How stigma interferes with mental health care’. American Psychologist 59 (7), 614–625 doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.59.7.614
Crossley, M. L. (2000) Introducing Narrative Psychology: Self, Trauma and the Construction of Meaning. Buckingham: Open University Press
Daw, B., and Joseph, S. (2007) ‘Qualified therapists’ experience of personal therapy’. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research 7 (4), 227–232 doi: 10.1080/14733140701709064
Farber, N. K. (2000) ‘Trainees' attitudes toward seeking psychotherapy scale: Development and validation of a research instrument’. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training 37 (4), 341–353 doi: 10.1037/0033-3204.37.4.341
Farber, B. A., Lippert, R. A., and Nevas, D. B. (1995) ‘The therapist as attachment figure’. Psychotherapy, 32 (2), 204–212. doi: 10.1037/0033-3204.32.2.204
Geller, J. D., Norcross, J. C., and Orlinsky, D. E. (2005) ‘The question of personal therapy: Introduction and prospectus’. in The Psychotherapist’s Own Psychotherapy: Patient and Clinician Perspectives ed by ed by Geller, J. D., Norcross, J.C., and Orlinsky, D. E. New York: Oxford University Press, 3–14
Gelso, C. J., and Hayes, J. A. (2007) Countertransference and the Therapist’s Inner Experience: Perils and Possibilities. Mahwah, N.J.: Erlbaum
Gold, S. H., and Hilsenroth, M. J. (2009) ‘Effects of graduate clinicians’ personal therapy on therapeutic alliance’. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy 16 (3), 159–171 doi: 10.1002/cpp.612
Greenspan, M., and Kulish, N. M. (1985) ‘Factors in premature termination in long-term psychotherapy’. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training 22 (1), 75–82 doi: 10.1037/h0088529
Grimmer, A., and Tribe, R. (2001) ‘Counselling psychologists' perceptions of the impact of mandatory personal therapy on professional development--an exploratory study’. Counselling Psychology Quarterly 14 (4), 287–301 doi: 10.1080/09515070110101469
Holzman, L. A., Searight, H. R., and Hughes, H. M. (1996) ‘Clinical psychology graduate students and personal psychotherapy: Results of an exploratory survey’. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice 27 (1), 98–101 doi: 10.1037/0735-7028.27.1.98
Ivey, G., and Waldeck, C. (2013) ‘Trainee clinical psychologists’ experience of mandatory personal psychotherapy in the context of professional training’. Asia Pacific Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy 5 (1), 87-98 doi: 10.1080/21507686.2013.833525
Kelley-Lainé, K. (2003) ‘“The metaphors we live by”’.. International Forum of Psychoanalysis 12 (1), 38–43 doi: 10.1080/083037060310005232
Kumari, N. (2011) ‘Personal therapy as a mandatory requirement for counselling psychologists in training: A qualitative study of the impact of therapy on trainees’ personal and professional development’. Counselling Psychology Quarterly 24 (3), 211–232 doi: 10.1080/09515070903335000
Lavender, T. (2003) ‘Redressing the balance: The place, history and future of reflective practice in clinical training’. Clinical Psychology [online] 27, 11–15. Available from http://www.psychminded.co.uk/clinical-psychology-issue-27-july-2003/ [7 December 2015]
Lemma, A. (2003) Introduction to the Practice of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons
Macaskill, A. (1999) ‘Personal therapy as a training requirement: The lack of supporting evidence’. in Controversies in Psychotherapy and Counselling. ed by Feltham, C. London: Sage, 142–155
Macaskill, N. D., and Macaskill, A. (1992) ‘Psychotherapists-in-training evaluate their personal therapy: Results of a UK survey’. British Journal of Psychotherapy 9 (2), 133–138 doi: 10.1111/j.1752-0118.1992.tb01211.x
MacCallum, E. J. (2002) ‘Othering and psychiatric nursing’. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 9 (1), 87–94 doi: 10.1046/j.1351–0126.2001.00449.x
Macran, S., Ross, H., Hardy, G. E., and Shapiro, D. A. (1999) ‘The importance of considering clients’ perspectives in psychotherapy research’. Journal of Mental Health 8 (4), 325–337 doi: 10.1080/09638239917256
Macran, S., and Shapiro, D. A. (1998) ‘The role of personal therapy for therapists: A review’. British Journal of Medical Psychology 71 (1), 13–25 doi: 10.1111/j.2044-8341.1998.tb01364.x
Malikiosi-Loizos, L. (2013) ‘Personal Therapy for Future Therapists: Reflections on a Still Debated Issue’. The European Journal of Counselling Psychology 2 (1), 33–50 doi:10.5964/ejcop.v2i1.4
Moller, N. P., Timms, J., and Alilovic, K. (2009) ‘Risky business or safety net? Trainee perceptions of personal therapy: a qualitative thematic analysis’. European Journal of Psychotherapy and Counselling 11 (4), 369–384 doi: 10.1080/13642530903444803
Murphy, D. (2005) ‘A qualitative study into the experience of mandatory personal therapy during training’. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research 5 (1), 27–32 doi: 10.1080/14733140512331343868
Murray, M. (2008) ‘Narrative psychology’. in Qualitative Psychology: A Practical Guide to Research Methods.2nd edn. ed by Smith, J. A. London: Sage, 111–132
Nel, P. W., Pezzolesi, C., and Stott, D. J. (2012). ‘How did we learn best? A retrospective survey of clinical psychology training in the United Kingdom’. Journal of Clinical Psychology 68 (9), 1058–1073 doi: 10.1002/jclp.21882
Norcross, J. C. (2005) ‘The psychotherapist’s own psychotherapy: Educating and developing psychologists’. American Psychologist 60 (8), 840–850 doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.60.8.840
Norcross, J. C., Dryden, W., and DeMichele, J. T. (1992) ‘British clinical psychologists and personal therapy: III. What’s good for the goose?’ Clinical Psychology Forum 44, 29–33
Norcross, J. C., and Guy Jr., J. D. (eds.) (2007) Leaving It at the Office: A Guide to Psychotherapist Self-Care. New York, USA: Guildford Press
Orlinsky, D. E., Norcross, J. C., Ronnestad, M. H., and Wiseman, H. (2005) ‘Outcomes and impacts of the psychotherapist’s own psychotherapy’. in The Psychotherapist’s Own Psychotherapy: Patient and Clinician Perspectives. ed by Geller, J. D., Norcross, J.C., and Orlinsky, D. E. New York: Oxford University Press, 214-234
Rake, C. (2009) ‘Therapy and personal development’. in Personal Development and Clinical Psychology. ed by Hughes, J., and Youngson, S. Chichester, UK: BPS Blackwell, 108–123
Rake, C., and Paley, G. (2009) ‘Personal therapy for psychotherapists: The impact on therapeutic practice. A qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological analysis’. Psychodynamic Practice 15 (3), 275–294 doi: 10.1080/14753630903024481
Richards, C. (2010) ‘‘Them and us’ in mental health services. The Psychologist 23 (1), 40–41
Riessman, C. K. (1993) Narrative Analysis. London: Sage
Riessman, C. K. (2008) Narrative Methods for the Human Sciences. California, USA: Sage
Rizq, R., and Target, M. (2010) ‘“We had a constant battle”: The role of attachment status in counselling psychologists’ experiences of personal therapy: Some results from a mixed-methods study’. Counselling Psychology Quarterly 23 (4), 343–369 doi: 10.1080/09515070.2010.534327
Schwartz-Mette, R. A. (2009) ‘Challenges in addressing graduate student impairment in academic professional psychology programs’. Ethics & Behaviour 19 (2), 91–102 doi: 10.1080/10508420902768973
Sheikh, A. I., Milne, D. L., and MacGregor, B. V. (2007) A model of personal professional development in the systematic training of clinical psychologists. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy 14 (4), 278–287 doi: 10.1002/cpp.540
Squire, C. (2008) ‘Experience-centred and culturally-orientated approaches to narrative’. in Doing Narrative Research. ed by Andrews, M., Squire, C., and Tamboukou, M. London: SAGE, 41–63
Sword, W. (1999) ‘Accounting for presence of self: Reflections on doing qualitative research’. Qualitative Health Research 9 (2), 270–278 doi: 10.1177/104973299129121839
Thorne, B., and Dryden, W. (1991) ‘Key issues in the training of counsellors’. in Training and Supervision for Counselling in Action. ed by Dryden, W. and Thorne, B. London: Sage, 1–14
Time to Change. (2008) [online] Available from [21 April 2014]
Timms, J. (2010) ‘A taste of our own…therapy: Trainees’ rationales for, and experiences of, personal therapy’. Clinical Psychology Forum 213, 34–39
Von Haenisch, C. (2011) ‘How did compulsory personal therapy during counselling training influence personal and professional development?’ Counselling and Psychotherapy Research 11 (2), 148–155 doi: 10.1080/14733145.2010.485693
Weatherhead, S. (2011) ‘Narrative Analysis: An often overlooked approach’. Clinical Psychology Forum 218, 47–52
Weiss, L. (2004) Therapist’s Guide to Self-Care. New York: Brunner-Routledge
Wertz, F. J., Charmaz, K., McMullen, L. M., Josselson, R., Anderson, R., and McSpadden, E. (eds.) (2011) Five Ways of Doing Qualitative Analysis. New York: Guilford Press
Wheeler, S. (2002) ‘Nature or nurture: Are therapists born or trained?’ Psychodynamic Practice 8 (4), 427–441 doi: 10.1080/1353333021000038809
Wicks, R. J. (2008) The Resilient Clinician. New York, USA: Oxford University Press
Wiseman, H., and Shefler, G. (2001) ‘Experienced psychoanalytically oriented therapists’ narrative accounts of their personal therapy: Impacts on professional and personal development’. Psychotherapy 38 (2), 129–141 doi: 10.1037/0033-3204.38.2.129
Wosket, V. (1999) The Therapeutic Use of Self. London: Brunner-Routledge
Yalom, I. D. (2002) The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and their Patients. London, UK: Piatkus
Yardly, L. (2008) ‘Demonstrating validity in qualitative psychology’. in Qualitative Psychology: A practical guide to research methods. 2nd edn. ed by Smith, J. A. London: Sage, 235–251
Youngson, S., Hames, R., and Holley, T. (2009) ‘“If they don’t know themselves, they can’t help you find yourself, can they really?”’ in Personal Development and Clinical Psychology, ed by Hughes, J., and Youngson, S. Chichester, UK: BPS Blackwell, 62–74
Zerubavel, N., and Wright, M. O’D. (2012) ‘The dilemma of the wounded healer’. Psychotherapy 49 (4), 482–491 doi: 10.1037/a0027824
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons License "Attribution-NonCommercial No Derivs 4.0 International" (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) which permits others to use the publication as long as the authors are appropriately cited.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
- The Author grants to Coventry University an irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide, non-exclusive licence to publish this article in this journal in addition to the licence granted at paragraph 1 of this copyright notice.
