| Abstract [eng] |
Gender of a client is often considered an important factor in psychotherapy process and in the development of the therapeutic relationship, however, there has been little scientific research into this area and the results of the existing studies are contradictory. There is also evidence that psychological gender-related characteristics, or the depth gender identity, of the participants of such studies, should be taken into account. This study aimed to identify the therapeutic and hindering factors as seen by male and female clients of analytical psychotherapy, and to relate these factors to the depth gender identity of the participants. 4 women and 4 men, aged 25-44, were interviewed between sessions 4 - 8 and 18 – 22. The interviews were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis and case study, taking analytical psychology as a theoretical basis for data interpretation. The results showed that while some factors identified by the study were significant for both genders, there were also some factors typical only of psychotherapy process of women or of men: therapeutic factors related to the empathic function of the therapeutic relationship were most helpful for women, and factors related to the analytical function were most helpful for men. These gender-related tendencies grew stronger as psychotherapy proceeded. Also, both the therapeutic and hindering factors turned out to be related to the type of depth gender identity of the participants of the study. |
