Display Full Text | Download Full Text
1.52 MB PDF file

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, Psychology, 2012.

Abstract

In this study, I delineated and systematically explored the usefulness of an experiential constructivist model of countertransference. The four participants were graduate-level student therapists, two men and two women, who ranged in age from their early 30’s to their mid 50’s. I interviewed participants about their most difficult experiences as psychotherapists and, with a research group, developed experiential constructivist conceptualizations of these experiences. After providing participants with the experiential constructivist conceptualizations, I interviewed them about their reactions to the conceptualizations. The research group analyzed the content and process of participants’ responses to the conceptualizations. The participants provided significant evidence for the usefulness of the constructivist model, noting that the conceptualizations generally captured their fundamental countertransferential conflicts and also helped them to develop deeper understandings of their experiences of countertransference. I discuss the importance of ROLE relating (Kelly, 1955; Leitner, 1985) with the participants in the development of the experiential constructivist conceptualizations. I also present implications for the development and presentation of the model, the clinical supervision of countertransference, and future research.

Subject Headings

Psychology

Keywords

Experiential Personal Construct Psychology; Countertransference; ROLE Relationships

Committee / Advisors

Larry Leitner, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Vaishali Raval, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
William Stiles, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Paul Anderson, Ph.D. (Committee Member)

Pages

363p.

Document number: miami1348777281
Permalink: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1348777281

This ETD has been downloaded 22 times (through March 2013)