A Qualitative Study on Autonomy in Psychotherapy
Experiences from the Person-Centered Approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65632/ecp.v7n1.47Keywords:
Autonomy, non-directivity, actualizing tendency, empathy, person-centered therapy, therapeutic relationshipAbstract
The research aimed to analyze the experience of autonomy as perceived by clients and psychotherapists within the context of person-centered psychotherapy. A qualitative approach was adopted, with a phenomenological design and a descriptive scope, aimed at understanding the meanings that participants attribute to their therapeutic experience. The findings showed that autonomy develops through self-discovery, personal reflection, and a therapeutic relationship grounded in empathy, congruence, and unconditional positive regard. Self-directed learning and self-understanding enhance clients’ capacity to make conscious decisions that are coherent with their inner experience, while therapeutic reflection is not regarded as a technique and follows the principle of non-directivity. It is concluded that autonomy in humanistic psychotherapy is not imposed, but rather emerges from a relational and experiential process in which the client recognizes themselves as the protagonist and primary knower of their life story, while the psychotherapist acts as a facilitator of this personal and conscious development.
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