scholarly journals The Soul of Therapy: The Therapist’s Use of Self in the Therapeutic Relationship

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry Joseph Aponte
Keyword(s):  
Therapeutic Relationship ◽  
Therapeutic Process ◽  
Common Factor ◽  
Therapeutic Use ◽  
Use Of Self ◽  
Therapeutic Engagement ◽  
Therapy Relationship ◽  
Therapy Model ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Relationship Assessment

AbstractThis paper is based on the premises that the conscious, active and purposeful use of self by the therapist in the therapeutic process is an essential aptitude in establishing an effective therapeutic relationship, and that this therapeutically purposeful use of self can and should be incorporated in the training of all therapists in a explicitly systematic manner. The paper will attempt to identify the contributions of the “what and how” the use of self by therapists contributes to the therapeutic process. First of all, therapists’ use of self is meant to be viewed as a Common Factor as defined by Sprenkle, Davis & Lebow (2009), which is a perspective about the effectiveness of therapy that “asserts that the qualities and capabilities of the person offering the treatment are more important than the treatment itself” (p. 4). Secondly, the use of self by therapists emphasizes developing the skill set of the therapist in the conscious, active and purposeful use of self as is in the moment of the therapeutic engagement with clients, and does so without denying the importance of therapists working to resolve personal issues of theirs that may interfere with the therapist's professional effectiveness. Therapists’ use of self gives particular emphasis to the purposeful use of self as is in therapy’s relationship, assessment and interventions whatever the therapy model (Aponte & Kissil, 2016). Thirdly, the use of self represents an aptitude that can be developed and refined through well elaborated structures for schooling therapists in the therapeutic use of all they bring of their personal selves to the therapy relationship including through the use of their human vulnerabilities as they exist at the moment of empathic engagement with clients.

Enhancing teaching relationships through therapeutic use of self

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-70
Author(s):  
Bronwen Williams
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Therapeutic Relationship ◽  
Clinical Work ◽  
Therapeutic Use ◽  
Good Effect ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Use Of Self ◽  
Mental Health Staff ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how the skills involved in building therapeutic relationships, especially the therapeutic use of self, in clinical work can transfer in to teaching, making reference to the supporting education theory. Design/methodology/approach – A review of relevant education and health literature was undertaken. Findings – Mental health practitioners’ skills transfer with good effect to the classroom, therefore clinicians who deliver teaching to mental health colleagues can be seen to be highly effective in promoting excellent learning environments. The teacher, and their teaching, needs to be student focused in the same way that the clinician needs to be patient centred to build the best possible relationships to support development and change. Originality/value – The therapeutic relationship is a fundamental element of mental health work and similarly, the relationships that the teachers develop with students are essential to the promotion of learning environments. However, what creates the teacher-student relationship has been little examined in the literature and this paper suggests that the core elements of the therapeutic relationship, especially therapeutic use of self, transfer to the teaching relationship to impact on learning for mental health staff.

Music Therapy, a Description of Process: Engagement and Avoidance in Five People with Learning Disabilities

1995 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Toolan ◽  
Shirley Coleman
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Interpersonal Communication ◽  
Therapeutic Relationship ◽  
Therapeutic Process ◽  
Therapeutic Engagement ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Reliable Methods ◽  
Over Time

A number of approaches exist within the field of music therapy. Some models for evaluating the efficacy of therapy have been adopted in the UK in recent years. These have measured the occurrence of specific behaviours within therapy, or compared music therapy with other interventions. There is a need to find reasonably reliable methods of describing change and the therapeutic process occurring within music therapy. This paper describes change occurring in five people with learning disabilities, in terms of their levels of engagement in therapy and in the therapeutic relationship. A method is provided, to evaluate independent observers ‘perceptions of change in the patients over a 30-session period of therapy. A significant increase in levels of engagement over time was found. It was also found that the degree of change over time was not related to the mean level of engagement. We discuss some subtle factors involved in therapeutic engagement for the five patients in the study, and stress the importance of a therapy which emphasises the dynamics of interpersonal communication for people with limited opportunities to express thoughts and emotions.

Relational Spirituality

2017 ◽  
pp. 91-111
Author(s):  
Ann M. Callahan
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Therapeutic Relationship ◽  
Therapeutic Process ◽  
Relational Model ◽  
Life Meaning ◽  
Relational Spirituality ◽  
Patient Capacity ◽  
Therapeutic Engagement ◽  
The Relationship

Chapter 5 introduces the concept of relational spirituality to suggest how a therapeutic relationship may support a patient’s spiritual experience of enhanced life meaning. Although different types of relationships may inform spirituality, this chapter focuses on the relationship between a hospice social worker and a patient. Research shows that therapeutic engagement involves a balance between technical skills and relational skills relative to caregiver expertise and patient capacity. This chapter suggests that the manner in which the therapeutic process unfolds as part of hospice social work can facilitate enhanced life meaning, called relational spirituality. A relational model for spiritually-sensitive hospice social work is introduced as a means of describing how this spiritual quality of therapeutic engagement can support patient care.

scholarly journals Development and psychometric properties of the Therapeutic Relationship Assessment Scale‐Nurse

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joana Catarina Ferreira Coelho ◽  
Francisco Miguel Correia Sampaio ◽  
Maria José Carvalho Nogueira ◽  
Carlos Alberto da Cruz Sequeira ◽  
Maria del Mar Lleixà Fortuño ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Therapeutic Relationship ◽  
Assessment Scale ◽  
Relationship Assessment

scholarly journals Significant Moments in Improvisational Music Therapy

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katelyn Beebe
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Emotional Expression ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Therapeutic Process ◽  
Body Movement ◽  
Clinical Work ◽  
Case Examples ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Interactional Patterns ◽  
Musical Elements

Four composite case examples are presented and discussed as they relate to emotional expression, significant moments in the therapeutic process, and communication using a variety of modalities in music therapy with adults diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Building on therapeutic awareness through discussing musical elements, body movement and posture, countertransference, and interactional patterns, the implications of deep emotional connection and processing are approached using primarily nonverbal methods. Composite vignettes from the author’s clinical work demonstrate awareness of these factors in the moment as they impacted the session, therapeutic relationship, and other professionals’ understanding of music therapy in this population. Implications for emotional processing in clinical practice are presented as they relate to the concepts presented in this paper.

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