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Resilience of Psychotherapists and the Relationship Between Their Personal and Professional Characteristics

Received: 14 November 2021    Accepted: 7 December 2021    Published: 24 December 2021
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Abstract

The article analyzes resilience in Ukrainian psychotherapists. Empirical research conducted by the authors found that Ukrainian psychotherapists generally had an average level of resilience, which decreased with age. The authors discuss the relationship between psychotherapists' resilience and their personal (type of emotional attachment, stress-coping strategies and personal traumatic experience) and professional (emotional states and professional experience) characteristics. It was found that such types of emotional attachment as anxiety and avoidance were negatively related to the level of psychotherapist resilience, while such psychotherapist coping behaviors as assertive action and social joining, on the contrary, had a positive relationship with psychotherapist resilience. Various traumatic events faced by psychotherapists related differently to their resilience. While violence and traumatic events in the psychotherapists' lives generally related negatively to the level of their resilience, the «other events» traumatic situations experienced by therapists, on the contrary, were positively related to the level of their resilience. There was a statistically significant inverse relationship between psychotherapist resilience and secondary trauma as a result of therapists' contact with trauma victims. There was also a statistically significant positive relationship between psychotherapist resilience and such indicators of their professional experience as receiving personal therapy, ongoing supervisory support as well as trauma coping training. The findings emphasized the role of occupational psychohygiene in promoting psychotherapist resilience.

Published in American Journal of Applied Psychology (Volume 10, Issue 6)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.15
Page(s) 162-172
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Psychotherapist Resilience, Type of Emotional Attachment, Coping Behaviors, Secondary Traumatic Stress, Professional Experience

References
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Gelena Lazos, Oksana Kredentser. (2021). Resilience of Psychotherapists and the Relationship Between Their Personal and Professional Characteristics. American Journal of Applied Psychology, 10(6), 162-172. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.15

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    ACS Style

    Gelena Lazos; Oksana Kredentser. Resilience of Psychotherapists and the Relationship Between Their Personal and Professional Characteristics. Am. J. Appl. Psychol. 2021, 10(6), 162-172. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.15

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    AMA Style

    Gelena Lazos, Oksana Kredentser. Resilience of Psychotherapists and the Relationship Between Their Personal and Professional Characteristics. Am J Appl Psychol. 2021;10(6):162-172. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.15

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.15,
      author = {Gelena Lazos and Oksana Kredentser},
      title = {Resilience of Psychotherapists and the Relationship Between Their Personal and Professional Characteristics},
      journal = {American Journal of Applied Psychology},
      volume = {10},
      number = {6},
      pages = {162-172},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.15},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.15},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajap.20211006.15},
      abstract = {The article analyzes resilience in Ukrainian psychotherapists. Empirical research conducted by the authors found that Ukrainian psychotherapists generally had an average level of resilience, which decreased with age. The authors discuss the relationship between psychotherapists' resilience and their personal (type of emotional attachment, stress-coping strategies and personal traumatic experience) and professional (emotional states and professional experience) characteristics. It was found that such types of emotional attachment as anxiety and avoidance were negatively related to the level of psychotherapist resilience, while such psychotherapist coping behaviors as assertive action and social joining, on the contrary, had a positive relationship with psychotherapist resilience. Various traumatic events faced by psychotherapists related differently to their resilience. While violence and traumatic events in the psychotherapists' lives generally related negatively to the level of their resilience, the «other events» traumatic situations experienced by therapists, on the contrary, were positively related to the level of their resilience. There was a statistically significant inverse relationship between psychotherapist resilience and secondary trauma as a result of therapists' contact with trauma victims. There was also a statistically significant positive relationship between psychotherapist resilience and such indicators of their professional experience as receiving personal therapy, ongoing supervisory support as well as trauma coping training. The findings emphasized the role of occupational psychohygiene in promoting psychotherapist resilience.},
     year = {2021}
    }
    

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    T1  - Resilience of Psychotherapists and the Relationship Between Their Personal and Professional Characteristics
    AU  - Gelena Lazos
    AU  - Oksana Kredentser
    Y1  - 2021/12/24
    PY  - 2021
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.15
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.15
    T2  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
    JF  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
    JO  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
    SP  - 162
    EP  - 172
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-5672
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.15
    AB  - The article analyzes resilience in Ukrainian psychotherapists. Empirical research conducted by the authors found that Ukrainian psychotherapists generally had an average level of resilience, which decreased with age. The authors discuss the relationship between psychotherapists' resilience and their personal (type of emotional attachment, stress-coping strategies and personal traumatic experience) and professional (emotional states and professional experience) characteristics. It was found that such types of emotional attachment as anxiety and avoidance were negatively related to the level of psychotherapist resilience, while such psychotherapist coping behaviors as assertive action and social joining, on the contrary, had a positive relationship with psychotherapist resilience. Various traumatic events faced by psychotherapists related differently to their resilience. While violence and traumatic events in the psychotherapists' lives generally related negatively to the level of their resilience, the «other events» traumatic situations experienced by therapists, on the contrary, were positively related to the level of their resilience. There was a statistically significant inverse relationship between psychotherapist resilience and secondary trauma as a result of therapists' contact with trauma victims. There was also a statistically significant positive relationship between psychotherapist resilience and such indicators of their professional experience as receiving personal therapy, ongoing supervisory support as well as trauma coping training. The findings emphasized the role of occupational psychohygiene in promoting psychotherapist resilience.
    VL  - 10
    IS  - 6
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Laboratory of Counseling Psychology and Psychotherapy, GS Kostiuk Institute of Psychology of NAES of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine

  • Laboratory of Organizational and Social Psychology, GS Kostiuk Institute of Psychology of NAES of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine

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