https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2024.791

The person behind the therapist: a recall study on significant events that contribute to therapists’ personal and professional development

Vol. 27 No. 2 (2024)
Submitted: May 14, 2024
Accepted: August 26, 2024
Published: August 29, 2024
Personal and professional development, person-of-the- therapist, significant events, therapist growth
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Authors

Hubert de Condé
hubert.deconde@uclouvain.be
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7899-9016
Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
Emmanuelle Zech
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7607-7042
Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
Jochem Willemsen
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4843-5209
Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.

This study explores the interconnexion between personal and professional development in therapist growth. This research examines a self-integrated perspective on training, by looking at the equal importance of nurturing personal development alongside professional skills cultivation. The study uses the concept of Significant Events (SE) which was originally developed to understand client change processes and applies the concept to investigate the development of the person-of-the-therapist. SE is events that are experienced in the therapy process and that are experienced by the client as being helpful or hindering for therapeutic change. Similar to the process of therapy, professional development is not a linear process of acquiring skills and knowledge but a discontinuous process that is driven by SE. The goal is to explore transformative moments in therapists' development. 281 participants completed an online questionnaire, evaluating: i) ) personal events (physical and mental health, interpersonal relationships, exploring the world, losses and deaths), ii) professional events (training, clinical experiences, relationship with colleagues, challenges due to work position), and iii) hybrid events where personal and professional aspects intertwine (personal therapy and societal context inducing insecurity). Findings suggest a more integrated self in personal and professional development. The study contributes to ongoing discussions on professional development, revealing the interplay between personal and professional spheres of therapists.

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How to Cite

de Condé, H., Zech, E., & Willemsen, J. (2024). The person behind the therapist: a recall study on significant events that contribute to therapists’ personal and professional development. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome, 27(2). https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2024.791
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