When Passions Run High
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Middlesex University Research Repository Submitted to the New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling and Middlesex University Psychology Department in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Existential Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy When Passions Run High A phenomenological exploration of the emotional experience of the therapeutic relationship in existential psychotherapy Victoria Brown August 2014, London, United Kingdom 0 | Page Acknowledgements If it takes a village to raise a child, then it has taken a small town to help me complete my Doctorate and this research. I want to thank the NSPC for helping me become a Counselling Psychologist and for making this research possible. With thanks to Emmy van Deurzen for her drive and spirit in creating the NSPC and its innovative and flexible study options which have allowed me to live in my adopted home of New York whilst completing my studies. I am grateful and thankful for my supervisors Jill Mytton and Andreas Vossler for their astute and reflective feedback and continuous support. Warm thanks to you Jill. Thanks to Miles Groth for existential elucidation. A thank you to David Kaposi for methodological enlightenment, and all the teachers, supervisors and peers I have had the good fortune to learn from. Thanks also to Dawn and Sasha for their tireless good work and cheer. Thank you to my anonymous research participants for being so open and contributing so richly. With thanks to my ‘study buddies’ Helen Goh and Rochelle Johnston from Regent’s College and the NSPC for motivation, inspiration and constructive peer review. Thanks to Sarah Cooper for a roof over my head and friendship and succour at the end of the day when attending classes in London. A heartfelt thank you to my family for both their belief and encouragement and practical support. To Dr. Veronica Fiske, Dr. Jenev Caddell and Niki D. for showing me what a therapeutic relationship could be and what it is that makes it therapeutic. And finally, with love and gratitude to Dr. Philip Luloff, with whom this journey began, and to Owen, with whom it continues. 1 | Page Abstract This dissertation explores the emotional experience of the psychotherapeutic relationship for existential therapists. The intent of this research is to explore therapists’ reflections and descriptions of their emotional experience as they engage in therapeutic relationships with their clients, and how they themselves make sense of and understand the emotions in the therapeutic relationship. Eight participants were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. The material was analysed using Van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenology. Five themes were identified: i) the idea that the relationship is the therapy; ii) the primacy of emotions in this relationship; iii) the emotional work required by the therapist, iv) the fact that emotions are embodied and v) the idea of the dance of therapy and moments of meeting. Existing literature on the therapeutic relationship and more broadly from existential philosophy was employed in order to illuminate themes arising from the results. The results provide a compelling description of existential therapists’ experiences of emotions in the therapeutic relationship and help to fill an absence of published phenomenological studies in this subject area. The clinical significance of the study includes a recommendation for increased awareness and focus on the emotional work of psychotherapy in training and practice. The study highlights the important role that the profession of counselling psychology plays in advocating for the importance of the therapeutic relationship. Further qualitative work on studies that delve into more specific aspects of emotions in the therapeutic relationship were called for. Keywords Therapeutic relationship, existential psychotherapy, emotion, phenomenological. 2 | Page Statement of Authorship This dissertation is written by Victoria Brown and has ethical clearance from the New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling and the Psychology Department of Middlesex University. It is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling and the Psychology Department of Middlesex University for the Degree of Doctor of Existential Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy. The author reports no conflicts of interest, and is alone responsible for the content and writing of the dissertation. 3 | Page Table of Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... 1 Abstract ................................................................................................................................. 2 Keywords ............................................................................................................................... 2 Statement of Authorship ....................................................................................................... 3 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 6 1.1 Background to Study ...................................................................................................... 6 1.2 A note on the study focus .............................................................................................. 7 1.3 My Identity and Orientation as a Counselling Psychologist ........................................... 8 1.4 Overview of Study .......................................................................................................... 8 2 Literature Review ............................................................................................................ 10 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 10 2.2 The Importance of the Therapeutic Relationship ........................................................ 11 2.3 Defining the Therapeutic Relationship (and Scope of this Research) .......................... 13 2.4 Defining Emotion and Emotional Experience .............................................................. 14 2.5 Emotional Experiences in Psychotherapy and the Therapeutic Relationship ............. 17 2.6 Existential Perspectives on Emotion and the Therapeutic Relationship ..................... 31 2.7 Summary and Research Questions .............................................................................. 40 3 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 42 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 42 3.2 Section 1: Philosophical and Methodological Framework ........................................... 43 3.3 Section 2: Research Design .......................................................................................... 61 4 Results ............................................................................................................................ 74 4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 74 4.2 Holistic Narrative Description ...................................................................................... 76 4.3 Thematic Analysis Overview......................................................................................... 79 4.4 Major Theme 1: The Relationship is the Therapy ........................................................ 80 4 | Page 4.5 Major Theme 2: Therapy is an Emotional Endeavour .................................................. 89 4.6 Major Theme 3: Emotion Work – Applying Emotional Wisdom ................................ 105 4.7 Major Theme 4: More Than Words – Emotions are Embodied ................................. 124 4.8 Major Theme 5: The Dance of Therapy and Moments of Meeting ........................... 132 5 Discussion ..................................................................................................................... 145 5.1 Discussion of the Results ............................................................................................ 145 5.2 Personal Reflexivity on the Study ............................................................................... 160 5.3 Methodological Considerations and Critical Reflections ........................................... 165 6 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 170 6.1 Summary of Research Findings .................................................................................. 170 6.2 Significance of the Study for the Training and Practice of Psychotherapy ................ 170 6.3 Professional and Political Implications ....................................................................... 174 6.4 Validity of the Study ................................................................................................... 179 6.5 Future Research ......................................................................................................... 179 6.6 Concluding Note ......................................................................................................... 180 7 References ...................................................................................................................