| Abstract [eng] |
Many studies support the effectiveness of existential psychotherapy, but the factors that make existential psychotherapy effective are still poorly understood. In particular, there is a lack of research that delves into the perception of the effectiveness of therapy from the perspective of the existential psychotherapy client. This study aimed to identify and describe the factors that bring about change in the process of existential psychotherapy from the perspective of long-term clients. The participants were 6 long-term clients of existential psychotherapy (5 women and 1 man). The participants were aged between 24 and 39 years (M  29.7). The research strategy chosen for the study was qualitative, data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using a method of thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The data analysis identified 3 main themes: (1) The therapeutic relationship as a tool for change; (2) The characteristics of the process of existential psychotherapy; (3) The characteristics of the therapist's way of being. The results reveal the importance of the therapeutic relationship as a key factor in the effectiveness of existential psychotherapy and highlight other features of the existential psychotherapy process and the therapist's way of being that have a clear relationship with the effectiveness of existential psychotherapy from the perspective of long-term clients. |
