“I couldn’t change the past; the answer wasn’t there”: A case study on the subjective construction of psychotherapeutic change of a patient with a Borderline Personality Disorder diagnosis and her therapist

Abstract

The understanding of psychotherapy as a multilevel process, in which different themes occur and develop simultaneously, is discussed. From this perspective, psychotherapy can be characterized as a process that involves the recovery of trust in others through corrective emotional experiences and the construction of a shared implicit relational knowledge. Clinical or methodological significance of this article: Research on the subjective experiences of psychotherapy must consider both patient and therapist as privileged but always complementary witnesses of their interaction. In addition, it should be noted that the experience of studying this biographical reconstruction generates a space where research and practice converge. The analysis of participants' narratives provides fascinating windows into their perceptions of psychotherapy and the process of change (Safran, 2013); here, the researcher is not merely a advantaged observer or a good summarizer: He/she has the chance to imbue the psychotherapy with a new meaning by connecting it with a common set of knowledge and a body of socially shared experience.

Episodes of meeting in psychotherapy: An empirical exploration of patients’ experiences of subjective change during their psychotherapy process

“…The identified phases are temporal delimitations of the experience in order to allow a more didactic comprehension and a formulation of its general structure. These findings are consistent with the work of Duarte, Tomicic and Martinez ( 2019 ) where therapists also tended to identify moments of meeting as part of a bigger interaction during the therapy session.…”

“…In this way, patients as well as therapists (Duarte et al, 2019 ) tend to recall episodes of meeting as moments when not only do they feel connected, but also feel each other’s connection. This finding is consistent with Lyons- Ruth’s ( 1998 ) notion of shared relational knowledge, which is constructed in the context of psychotherapy and seems to be crucial for the process of moving forward.…”

“…This finding is consistent with Lyons- Ruth’s ( 1998 ) notion of shared relational knowledge, which is constructed in the context of psychotherapy and seems to be crucial for the process of moving forward. This knowledge is grounded on tacit and procedural knowing that is initially part of the dyad’s own relational histories, but through the process of psychotherapy and its affectively charged moments opens a space for the patient to develop now forms of shared experiences (Duarte, Fischersworring, Martínez, & Tomicic, 2019 ).…”

Meeting in difference: Revisiting the therapeutic relationship based on patients′ and therapists′ experiences in several clinical contexts

“…Specifically Cases B and C have been included in studies focusing on other specific topics (experience of therapy and change). For more information on these investigations see Abarzúa, Silva, Navarro, & Krause (), Duarte, Fischersworring, Martínez, & Tomicic (), and Krause, Abarzúa, Silva, Navarro, & Altimir ().…”

Recognizing oneself in the encounter with others: Meaningful moments in systemic therapy for social anxiety disorder in the eyes of patients and their therapists after the end of therapy

“…How was that experience for you?" Both sets of interview guidelines [41] focused on the six topics ). Throughout the interview, both the patient and the therapist were encouraged to share anything they felt had been relevant for them or for the change process and describe PLOS ONE specific events that had occurred during the therapy as examples of their reflections.…”