Psychotherapists' Experience of Power in the Psychotherapy Relationship
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Middlesex University Research Repository An open access repository of Middlesex University research http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk Day, Andrew (2010) Psychotherapists’ experience of power in the psychotherapy relationship. [Doctorate by Public Works] Final accepted version (with author’s formatting) This version is available at: https://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/13049/ Copyright: Middlesex University Research Repository makes the University’s research available electronically. Copyright and moral rights to this work are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners unless otherwise stated. The work is supplied on the understanding that any use for commercial gain is strictly forbidden. A copy may be downloaded for personal, non-commercial, research or study without prior permission and without charge. 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See also repository copyright: re-use policy: http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/policies.html#copy Middlesex University Research Repository: an open access repository of Middlesex University research http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk Day, Andrew, 2010. Psychotherapists’ experience of power in the psychotherapy relationship. Available from Middlesex University’s Research Repository. Copyright: Middlesex University Research Repository makes the University’s research available electronically. Copyright and moral rights to this thesis/research project are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. The work is supplied on the understanding that any use for commercial gain is strictly forbidden. A copy may be downloaded for personal, non- commercial, research or study without prior permission and without charge. Any use of the thesis/research project for private study or research must be properly acknowledged with reference to the work’s full bibliographic details. This thesis/research project may not be reproduced in any format or medium, or extensive quotations taken from it, or its content changed in any way, without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). If you believe that any material held in the repository infringes copyright law, please contact the Repository Team at Middlesex University via the following email address: [email protected] The item will be removed from the repository while any claim is being investigated. Middlesex University and Metanoia Institute Psychotherapists’ experience of power in the psychotherapy relationship Research Thesis Andrew Day submitted in partial fulfillment of the degree of Doctorate in Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy by Professional Studies (DCPsych) 11/1/2010 Word Count: 35, 986 Psychotherapists’ experience of power in the psychotherapy relationship Contents 1. Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 5 2. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 7 2.1 Overview of the thesis ............................................................................................................ 7 2.2 My relationship to the subject of power: interests, motives and personal process .............. 8 2.3. A review of the literature on power in psychotherapy ............................................................... 9 2.3.1 What is power? Philosophical positions on power ............................................................. 9 2.3.2 Structural theories of power ................................................................................................ 10 2.3.3 Post - Modern Theories of Power: power as a relationship ............................................... 11 2.3.4 Reconciling structural and process perspectives on power................................................. 14 2.3.5 Social identity, social structures and psychological health .................................................. 14 2.6 Perspectives on power in the psychotherapy relationship: ....................................................... 15 2.6.1. Four ideological positions on power in the psychotherapy relationship............................ 16 2.6.2 The denial of the existence of power in the psychotherapy relationship .................... 17 2.6.3 Power as a destructive and oppressive force in the psychotherapy relationship ........ 18 2.6.4 The psychotherapy relationship as a process of liberation & empowerment ............. 20 2.6.5 Power as a relational, inter-subjective process in the psychotherapy relationship ..... 21 2.6.7. Concluding thoughts on the literature on power in psychotherapy ..................................... 23 2.7. A phenomenological orientation to understanding power in the therapeutic relationship .... 23 2.8. The context of this study: Integrative psychotherapists working in private practice............... 24 2.9 The aim of this research study .................................................................................................... 25 3. Methodology ........................................................................................................................ 26 3.1. My epistemological position ...................................................................................................... 26 3.2. The phenomenological method ................................................................................................. 26 3.3. A reflexive position: Insider – outsider dynamics and the researcher – participant relationship .............................................................................................................................................. 27 3.4. Procedures for gathering data .................................................................................................. 28 3.4.1 The research interview........................................................................................................ 28 3.4.3 Participants (co-researchers) .............................................................................................. 30 3.4.4. Characteristics of the participants ...................................................................................... 31 3.4.5 A research diary: my experiences of the research – participant relationship ..................... 32 3.5 Analysis of the data .................................................................................................................... 32 3.6 Evaluation criteria and Validity Checks ....................................................................................... 40 2 Psychotherapists’ experience of power in the psychotherapy relationship 3.7. Ethical considerations ............................................................................................................... 41 4. Findings section ..................................................................................................................... 43 4.1 Overview of findings ................................................................................................................... 43 4.1.2. Reflections on the research process and the power relations of the researcher – participant relationship ................................................................................................................. 46 4.1.3. Reflections on my process during the interview process ................................................... 47 4.1.3. The interview process: bringing what is out of awareness into view ................................ 49 4.2. The social context of the psychotherapist’s role power ........................................................... 50 4.2.1. The psychotherapist’s role power ...................................................................................... 50 4.2.1. Social context shapes the therapist’s experience of their role power ............................... 50 4.2.3 The client’s role power ........................................................................................................ 51 4.3. The power dynamic as an emerging relational and social process ........................................... 51 4.3.1 The opening interactions shape the power dynamic .......................................................... 51 4.3.2 The therapist’s attunement and sensitivity to the client’s social power ............................ 52 4.3.3 Re-configurations of the power dynamic............................................................................ 54 4.3.4 Re-negotiations of the power dynamic ..............................................................................