Power, Interpersonal Trauma, and the Counseling Relationship: A Grounded Theory Analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this constructivist grounded theory analysis was to explore how adult women with histories of interpersonal trauma experience power within the counseling relationship. Using semi-structured interviews with 29 clients in counseling, concurrent data analysis and collection resulted in a process theory composed of seven categories and one core category. Categories included Sociocultural Mental Health Factors, Past Experiences of Power, Choosing Counseling, Assessing for Safety and Fit, Advocating for Needs, Reliving Disempowerment, and Reclaiming Power. Participants’ experience of power was summarized by the core category, Practicing Personal Power in Connection with Others, which represented the model's central concepts. The constructed process theory informs counseling practice with clients who have experienced interpersonal trauma by presenting a model for how clients enact their power. Implications include strategies for addressing power within the counseling relationship.