Corinne Gale1,2, Thomas Schröder1, Paul Gilbert2. 1. Trent Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, University of Nottingham, UK. 2. Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Therapists' personal practice of therapy techniques can impact on a range of areas, including: empathy for the client, therapeutic understanding, therapist skills and self-awareness. Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) draws extensively on personal practice during training, and on-going personal practice is encouraged. However, the impact of this has not been examined. OBJECTIVES: To explore therapists' experiences of personal practice in relation to CFT, and the impact this has upon them and their therapeutic work. DESIGN: A qualitative approach was adopted, using inductive thematic analysis. METHODS: Ten therapists, who had trained in CFT, took part in a semi-structured interview to explore their experiences of personal practice. RESULTS: Five main themes were identified. These highlighted that: (1) experiences of personal practice often felt strange to start with but were surprisingly powerful; (2) with practice, the exercises became more automatic and could be adopted as a 'way of life'; (3) personal practice was felt to increase both self-compassion and compassion for others; (4) personal practice often helped participants to feel more present for their clients; and (5) participants were more aware of what they were bringing to therapy. CONCLUSIONS: This exploratory study demonstrated that personal practice is an important part of CFT training and can have a positive impact upon therapists both personally and professionally. It is concluded that the results justify further research in order to establish the applicability of these findings with a larger sample.
BACKGROUND: Therapists' personal practice of therapy techniques can impact on a range of areas, including: empathy for the client, therapeutic understanding, therapist skills and self-awareness. Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) draws extensively on personal practice during training, and on-going personal practice is encouraged. However, the impact of this has not been examined. OBJECTIVES: To explore therapists' experiences of personal practice in relation to CFT, and the impact this has upon them and their therapeutic work. DESIGN: A qualitative approach was adopted, using inductive thematic analysis. METHODS: Ten therapists, who had trained in CFT, took part in a semi-structured interview to explore their experiences of personal practice. RESULTS: Five main themes were identified. These highlighted that: (1) experiences of personal practice often felt strange to start with but were surprisingly powerful; (2) with practice, the exercises became more automatic and could be adopted as a 'way of life'; (3) personal practice was felt to increase both self-compassion and compassion for others; (4) personal practice often helped participants to feel more present for their clients; and (5) participants were more aware of what they were bringing to therapy. CONCLUSIONS: This exploratory study demonstrated that personal practice is an important part of CFT training and can have a positive impact upon therapists both personally and professionally. It is concluded that the results justify further research in order to establish the applicability of these findings with a larger sample.
Authors: Shane Sinclair; Jane Kondejewski; Priya Jaggi; Liz Dennett; Amanda L Roze des Ordons; Thomas F Hack Journal: Acad Med Date: 2021-07-01 Impact factor: 7.840
Authors: Antonio Crego; José Ramón Yela; Pablo Riesco-Matías; María-Ángeles Gómez-Martínez; Aitor Vicente-Arruebarrena Journal: Psychol Res Behav Manag Date: 2022-09-14