Psychological Duty and Therapeutic Relationship: The Point of View of Attended Clients

Abstract

This work aims to examine what the clients cared for in a service of psychological duty, guided by a person-centered therapy, and consider meaningful as for the way the psychologist on duty relates to them. For that, semi-structured interviews were done with 5 clients cared for by this service, and the phenomenological method of research was used to analyze the interviews. Thus, we reached six analysis categories: 1) feel heard; 2) interest from the psychologist on duty; 3) feel welcome; 4) confidence; 5) unlimited time; 6) self-knowledge. Through the analysis of all the categories, it was possible to reach the conclusion that, even in a service that is so distinct from the psychotherapy as the duty service is, it is possible for the client to realize those that, according to Rogers, would be the necessary and sufficient conditions for the change of personality. Besides, it was possible to perceive the relevance of the quality of the presence of the psychologist on duty in the established relationship with the interviewed clients.