“If I Can Grapple With This I Can Truly Be Of Use In The Therapy Room”: Using The Therapist's Own Emotional Struggles To Facilitate Effective Therapy

TLDR

Self‑of‑the‑therapist work is considered essential for effective therapists, yet therapy models differ in how they define and pursue this work. This study introduces the Person‑of‑the‑Therapist Training (POTT) model, which emphasizes deliberately using the therapist’s present self at client contact rather than solely resolving personal issues. The POTT model treats therapists’ core issues, or “signature themes,” as valuable resources for connecting with, assessing, and intervening with clients, and demonstrates their application in clinical practice.

Abstract

This study premises that self-of-the-therapist work is pivotal in the development of effective therapists. However, therapy models vary in their goals for this work and the means of accomplishing them. This study presents the perspective of the person-of-the-therapist Training (POTT) model that prioritizes the ability to consciously and purposefully use the self-as-is at the moment of contact with the client over the traditional goal of therapists working to resolve their issues. A key underlying assumption of the model proposes that therapists' core issues (referred to as "signature themes") are potent resources that can be tapped into to connect, assess and intervene effectively with clients. The study presents the model and illustrates the use of signature themes in clinical work.