preview

Psychotherapist Personality Paper

Decent Essays

Many researchers suggest that counselors differ in their level of effectiveness, and have attempted to identify variables, such as therapist’s education, training, interventions, theoretical orientation, that have an effect on the therapeutic outcome. Heinonen, Lindfors, Laaksonen, and Knekt (2012) decided to explore specific components of personality and behaviors of therapists that may be differentially helpful in a short and long-term psychotherapy for individuals with mood and anxiety disorders. A total of 326 patients, recruited from psychiatric services in Helsinki, were randomly assigned to either short-term or long-term therapy, and the outcomes were tracked over a three-year period. There were 53 volunteer therapists, with at least two years of work experience, who participated in the study and provided services. Professional and personal characteristics of therapists were assessed at baseline with The Development of Psychotherapists Common Core Questionnaire (DPCCQ), and used as the predictor, while the …show more content…

Counselors’ characteristics can have an impact on the success of treatment, which carries implications for a therapist’s preparation, as well as matching therapist characteristics to the setting that will yield the best results. If I had to agree with the findings of this research, I would say that this study has helped me to think differently about the nature of therapist personality and the length of treatment. Knowledge of how counselor’s personality characteristics affect the therapeutic process would be valuable to me because, being more aware of my own personality features, I can use them as guidance in identifying my strengths and deficits. Giving more attention to my introverted nature would allow me to intentionally engage in long-term therapy and create a more tailored approach to my clients, that would be associated with better therapeutic process and

Get Access