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Dying with friends: implications for the psychotherapist
The American Journal of Psychiatry
|March 1, 1982
Summary
Therapist life experiences, especially those involving intense emotions or confronting mortality, can enhance psychotherapeutic competence. However, some situations, like helplessness or personal death awareness, may trigger defensive reactions impacting empathy development.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychotherapy Research
Background:
- Psychotherapeutic competence development is not fully understood.
- Therapist life experiences offer a learning source, particularly those evoking strong emotions and potentially increasing empathy.
- Certain life events can lead to emotional defenses, hindering competence growth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how therapists' life experiences influence psychotherapeutic competence.
- To analyze the impact of intense affects and defensive reactions on empathic capacity.
- To investigate specific situations, such as helplessness and confronting mortality, on therapist defensiveness.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative analysis of therapist's personal experiences.
- Exploration of defensiveness periods triggered by discussions with dying friends.
- Examination of the implications of these experiences for psychotherapeutic competence.
Main Results:
- Intense affects from life experiences can augment empathic capacity.
- Situations involving therapist helplessness or confronting personal death can precipitate strong emotional defenses.
- Defensiveness can impede the development of psychotherapeutic competence.
Conclusions:
- Therapist's personal life experiences are a significant, yet complex, factor in developing psychotherapeutic competence.
- Understanding and managing emotional defenses is crucial for enhancing empathic capacity.
- Further research is needed to fully grasp the interplay between life events and therapeutic skill development.
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