Self-reflections of Psycho-therapists on their Own Process of Growth and Development

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18478564

Saman Hakim and Parisha Jijina (Department of Psychology, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, Gujarat)

There has been a need for professional reflection and development at all career stages, Psychotherapists in India typically have limited occasion for self-reflection and discussion of their experiences with professional peers. There has been very limited research being done on the growth and development of a Psycho-therapist in Indian context. Qualitative research design was employed and Interview schedule was prepared. The sample consisted of 10 Clinical Psychologist/Therapists from Vadodara, Ahmedabad, and Gandhinagar with a minimum of ten years work experience. Thematic analysis was used for analyzing the data. The main themes which are elaborated on are: 1) The importance and developmental process of Empathy among the Psychotherapists 2) The development of Non-judgemental Attitude, 3) Personal growth of the psycho-therapists 4) Professional growth of the psycho-therapists, 5) Any spiritual belief that guide them in therapeutic work 6) Mental health practice that help the therapists to prevent mental fatigue and breakdown. The findings of the study are discussed in light of recent literature as well as the researcher’s reflexivity in the process of conducting the research. The expert’s insights elaborated in the paper will be beneficial for the training of future therapists.