Healing through meeting : a phenomenological description of the experience of being together in psychotherapy

In this study, a phenomenological approach was used to describe the experience therapists and patients have of being with each other in psychotherapy. Previous results in the area of psychotherapy process research have indicated that the therapeutic relationship provides the basis for successful psychotherapy. For this reason, the present study was concerned with furthering an understanding of the experience of participants who are in such relationships. Sixteen participants, including student and experienced therapists and their patients, were interviewed using a dialogical method. Findings based on a qualitative analysis of the data, included a description of the thematic structure of the experience as reported by participants. Major themes described by participants included: Connection/Separation, Similarities/Differences, Presence/Absence and Ways of Relating. This structure always was experienced by all participants as contextualized by one or more of the major existential grounds of body, time, others, world and emotions.