The image of the psychotherapist in literature

The current study explores the image of the psychotherapist as he/she is portrayed in literature in an attempt to broaden the perspective of existing research on this topic. In the past, studies and surveys on the image of psychotherapists have mainly been conducted among the general public and fellow colleagues rather than among the patients of psychotherapists. It is suggested that psychotherapists shy away from being the subjects of study. Moreover, it is proposed that research on the image of the psychotherapist suffers from a one-way gaze, whose bias stems from the asymmetrical nature of therapist-patient relationships. The present study explores the image of the psychotherapist through an analysis of nineteen literary works featuring twenty-six figures of psychotherapists. The literary image was examined by means of a questionnaire and content analysis. The profile that emerges suggests that psychotherapists and the psychotherapeutic process are well understood by authors representing both individual patients and the general public.