Beyond duality: The relationship between the personal and the professional selves of the therapist in the Person of the Therapist Training

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Person-of-the-Therapist Training (POTT) model has been developing and evolving since the late seventies. The current study explored the relationship between the personal self-of-the-therapist and the professional self-of-the-therapist within the POTT. A directed content analysis of the 18 trainees’ final reflection papers at the end of a 9-month POTT was conducted. Findings suggest that even though the training’s goal is improving trainees’ ability to use their selves in therapy, changes in the therapist’s self appear to expand to other areas in the therapist’s life. Thus, the road to becoming a more effective therapist goes through personal changes, specifically self-awareness and the acceptance of one’s own struggles and imperfections. Implications for training and future research are discussed.