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"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.

Javiera DuarteMartina FischersworringClaudio MartínezAlemka Tomicic
Published in: Psychotherapy research : journal of the Society for Psychotherapy Research (2017)
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.
Keyphrases
  • borderline personality disorder
  • healthcare
  • posttraumatic stress disorder
  • primary care
  • mental health
  • case report
  • palliative care
  • physical activity
  • social media