An Investigation on Emotional Experiences of Clinical and Family Therapists in Clinical Therapy Sessions

The objective of the present study was to offer a model of emotional experiences of clinical and family therapists in clinical therapy sessions. The research method was inductive study approach the methodology whereof was qualitative and the research strategy was conducted according to data-based theorization. The statistical population of the study included the clinical and family therapists in the city of Isfahan in the spring and summer of 2021. The sample size continued according to the interview and theoretical saturation process during which the sample size was 20 clinical and family therapists. The findings implied that the therapists’ burnout included familial and social relationships, being influenced by personal life, persistent feelings resulting from sessions and long-term occupational changes and effects. The type of relationship with the clients in therapy room, too, included success during the therapy, being honest with the client, improvement of relationship with the client, feeling of turning away from the client, reaction to the client’s failures, being admired by the client, dealing with critical client and powerful relationship with the client. Occupational challenges included the client with the problems similar to the therapist, technique of dealing with the feelings of therapy room, difficult experienced emotions in therapy room, revelation technique, mistake in therapy, controlling emotion, feeling failed, hard clients and therapy costs too. In the same way, emotions included secondary and primary emotions, client-directed experiences emotion and self-directed experiences emotion and secondary emotions included fear, surprise, sadness, anger, shame, and primary emotions included fear and happiness.