Supervisors info:
Βασιλική (Λίσσυ) Κανελλοπούλου, Αναπληρώτρια Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Ψυχολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Πήλιος-Δημήτρης Σταύρου
Ελένη Βούσουρα
Summary:
The aim of the present study is to reflect the subjective experience of trainee clinical psychologists at the Vironas – Kessariani Municipality Centre of Mental Health in Athens, Greece, regarding their relationship with the patients they treated and with the broader clinical context. Specifically, the research questions centered around if and in what ways various aspects of transferential phenomena within the therapeutic work done with patients are perceived by the trainee psychologists and what qualities these may acquire, according to the clinicians. A qualitative research approach was pursued, with the research material produced through in-depth semi-structured interviews with psychologists who had been trainees at the MCMH V-K. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used, leading to the emergence of six basic themes: 1. Transference, 2. Aspects of age, 3. Time milestones in psychotherapy, 4. Challenges – difficulties and sources of support, 5. Αutonomy of the trainee clinician, 6. The Municipality Centre of Mental Health of Vironas – Kessariani in the eyes of trainees and one supplementary theme: 7. Consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. A wide range of transferential aspects was taken into account by young clinicians (issues in relating that were reflected in the relationship with the therapist, therapeutic alliance, fantasies etc). Research participants have tried to process these aspects in various ways, while the therapeutic relationship itself frequently functioned as a source of challenge or difficulty for them. The institutional context in which they practiced seems to have led the trainee clinicians towards a growing autonomy, which brings both positive and negative effects, according to them, highlighting, for example, the need for more supervision.
Keywords:
transference, psychotherapy, public health care, Municipality Centre of Mental Health, trainee clinical psychologists
