Psychodynamic psychotherapists’ perceptions of change: A phenomenological analysis

Objective: This qualitative study aimed to investigate how experienced psychodynamic psychotherapists conceptualize change in psychotherapy by engaging in guided reflection on their professional experiences. Method: Eight psychodynamic therapists participated in the study, with four females and four males. Semi-structured interviews were conducted within a phenomenological-hermeneutic research framework, focusing on several key themes related to the change in psychotherapy. Then, phenomenological categories were identified through a consensual content analysis, applying an inductive approach. Results: Through an iterative analysis, nine overarching themes and their respective subcategories emerged: (a) Orientation; (b) Motivations For Choosing to Train in the Psychodynamic Approach; (c) Areas of Intervention; (d) The Relational Space as the Foundation of Therapy and the Process of Change; (e) Focusing, Exploring, and Processing the Patient's Internal States; (f) The Tools of Change in the Psychodynamic Approach; (g) The Subjectivity and Experiences of the Therapist; (h) New Conceptions of Change in the Psychodynamic Approach; (i) Change as an Unpredictable Process Difficult to Model. Discussion: The findings underscore the importance of employing qualitative methods to study psychotherapy change, as its complexity cannot be easily reduced to simplified models.