ABSTRACT

We explored how graduate-student/recent graduate psychotherapists managed errors committed in psychotherapy, using consensual qualitative research (CQR) to analyze interview data. The 13 graduate-student/recent-graduate psychotherapist participants defined errors as something that leads to negative consequences or harm for clients or psychotherapy, identified inattention to important client factors as the most common error, and reported minimal/no formal graduate training regarding errors. When describing a specific psychotherapy error they had made, they noted a strong pre-error psychotherapy relationship, recounted a range of intrapersonal antecedents to the error, and described the error as their using an approach that was not helpful to the client/psychotherapy. Some realized the error in session via clients’ responses; others’ realization came post-session. The errors led to ruptures in psychotherapy and negative emotional responses in participants, as well as self-doubt; the errors also stimulated participant growth/learning. Participants used supervision to recover from the error and process their thoughts/feelings regarding the error. They also frequently discussed the error with clients, and advised others to be self-compassionate toward the inevitable errors that psychotherapists make. Implications for training, practice, and research are discussed.

摘要

我们探讨了研究生/刚毕业的心理治疗师如何管理心理治疗中的错误，使用双方同意的定性研究 (CQR) 来分析访谈数据。13 名研究生/刚毕业的心理治疗师参与者将错误定义为对客户或心理治疗造成负面后果或伤害的事情，将对重要客户因素的忽视视为最常见的错误，并报告说很少/没有关于错误的正式研究生培训。在描述他们所犯的特定心理治疗错误时，他们指出了一种强烈的错误前心理治疗关系，讲述了该错误的一系列个人内因，并将该错误描述为他们使用了对客户/心理治疗没有帮助的方法。有的通过客户的反应意识到会话中的错误；其他人的认识来自会后。这些错误导致心理治疗的破裂和参与者的负面情绪反应，以及自我怀疑；这些错误也刺激了参与者的成长/学习。参与者使用监督从错误中恢复并处理他们对错误的想法/感受。他们还经常与客户讨论错误，并建议其他人对心理治疗师不可避免的错误保持自我同情。讨论了对培训、实践和研究的影响。他们还经常与客户讨论错误，并建议其他人对心理治疗师不可避免的错误保持自我同情。讨论了对培训、实践和研究的影响。他们还经常与客户讨论错误，并建议其他人对心理治疗师不可避免的错误保持自我同情。讨论了对培训、实践和研究的影响。