Exploring the Use of the Therapists Self in Therapy: A Systematic Review
- Title
- Exploring the Use of the Therapists Self in Therapy: A Systematic Review
- Creator
- Alva M.H.; Antony S.P.; Kataria K.
- Description
- Purpose: This systematic qualitative review explored how psychotherapists use their self in therapy within the psychotherapy literature. It sought to examine the key documented ways through which the therapists self is intentionally used in therapy and the process of using the therapists self. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, databases including PubMed, ProQuest, APA PsycArticles, and APA PsycINFO were searched. The review question How do therapists use their self in therapy? guided the search using derivative keywords. Of the 149 screened articles, 20 underwent full-text review, and only four studies met inclusion criteria. Findings: All studies that met the inclusion criteria were from the West. Therapeutic self-disclosure (TSD) emerged as the primary way through which therapists used their self in therapynotably, the only way documented in the studies reviewed. Studies discussed the nature, rationale, influencing factors, and effectiveness of TSD. This article elaborates upon the themes from the reviewed studies. It critically examines existing literature, lists avenues for future research, and discusses implications for psychotherapy practice. Conclusions: The review underscores a significant gap in empirical qualitative research regarding therapists use of their self beyond TSD in therapy. There is an urgent need for further exploration in this domain. 2024 The Author(s).
- Source
- Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine
- Date
- 2024-01-01
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications Ltd
- Subject
- person of the therapist; Psychotherapy research; therapist factors; therapist self-disclosure; use of self in therapy
- Coverage
- Alva M.H., Dept. of Psychology, Christ University, Karnataka, Bangalore, India; Antony S.P., Dept. of Psychology, Christ University, Karnataka, Bangalore, India; Kataria K., School of Human Ecology, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Maharashtra, Mumbai, India
- Rights
- All Open Access; Gold Open Access; Green Open Access
- Relation
- ISSN: 2537176
- Format
- Online
- Language
- English
- Type
- Review
Collection
Citation
Alva M.H.; Antony S.P.; Kataria K., “Exploring the Use of the Therapists Self in Therapy: A Systematic Review,” CHRIST (Deemed To Be University) Institutional Repository, accessed February 25, 2025, https://archives.christuniversity.in/items/show/21349.