Association and differentiation between alliance and psychotherapy relationship: a phenomenological analysis based on the perspective of psychotherapists


Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Fen Edebiyat Fakültesi, Psikoloji Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2017

Öğrenci: ŞEBNEM ŞAHİNÖZ

Danışman: TÜLİN GENÇÖZ

Özet:

The purpose of the current study is to explore psychotherapy relationships from the perspectives of psychotherapists. Alliance, interpersonal styles of the psychotherapists and manifestations of the psychotherapists’ interpersonal styles in psychotherapy setting was investigated in order to unfold the mechanisms and components of the psychotherapy relationship. In order to comprehend the subjective experiences of psychotherapists, three psychotherapists who continued to their doctoral education in clinical psychology were recruited for the present study. Semi-structured, in-depth, face to face interviews were conducted in line with the aim. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was utilized in order to analyze the transcripts of the psychotherapists. Main and subthemes related with goals and tasks; psychotherapists’ affective bonds to their clients; the psychotherapists’ interpersonal styles with their significant others and manifestations of the psychotherapists’ interpersonal styles in the psychotherapy settings were presented in the analysis part of the study. Eight emergent main themes were as follows; adopted psychotherapy approaches; therapy goals and agreement on goals; therapy tasks and agreement on tasks; emotional experiences; interpersonal styles in general; interpersonal styles in family of origin; interpersonal styles in non-familial context; and psychotherapist-client interactions. Phenomenological associations and differentiations of the concepts reflecting psychotherapy relationship were discussed based on the theories and approaches aiming to explain the psychotherapy relationship.