Student Psychotherapists' Experiences of Self-Empathy: An Interpretative Poetic Inquiry

Abstract

Background: Interpersonal empathy is a well-researched concept in the counselling and psychotherapy literature, although less is known about how it is experienced at an intrapersonal level. What is known is that self-empathy involves a change in perspective and a re-evaluation of events, in kinder and less judgemental ways. Aim: The aim of this study was to understand and appreciate the meaning of self-empathy to trainee creative psychotherapists. The research was in the context of the students' own self-care and intrapersonal relating. Methodology and Methods: An interpretative poetic inquiry design was utilised. Interviews were conducted with 4 trainee creative psychotherapists at a university in the Northwest of England, UK. Results: Self-empathy was experienced as a process, often involving several aspects of the self, to understand and accept feelings and events in the context of self-care. Development of self-empathy involved internal dialoguing through activities such as journaling, poetry writing, meditation, and being outdoors. The use of interpretative poetic inquiry enabled the emotional aspects of the data to be distilled and combined reflexively with the experiences of the researchers. Conclusions: This research provides contemporary insights into the experiences of self-empathy from the perspective of a small number of trainee creative psychotherapists. It has implications for students in terms of self-understanding and self-care, and for educators, to inform future psychotherapist preparation and curriculum development. Finally, there are implications for future research using interpretative poetic inquiry as a reflexive approach, which embraces the presence of the researcher in the research.