The lived experience of the therapist when treating depressed clients

Abstract

Depressed people who do not have adequate strategies to deal with their issues may go to psychotherapists, who provide help and support by building a therapeutic relationship with depressed clients. The experience impacts not only the client's life but also the therapist's. This research explores the lived experience of therapists who treat depressed people. The study was carried out by taking a qualitative approach that enabled me to delve deep into the therapists' experience, and to explore what it means for them to help depressed individuals. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyze the data. Five major themes emerged from the data. These include, 'Depressed individuals as clients who need therapy', 'Being in therapy with depressed clients', 'Encountering challenges', 'Being a therapist outside the therapy room' and 'Ongoing reflective process'. It resulted that the therapist's relationship with the client impacts both his professional experience and his personal life.