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Exploring Values of Therapists in India

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Counselling in India

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Abstract

Psychotherapy research is replete with insights into therapy outcomes and the role it plays within the therapeutic alliance. However, much of the focus of research has been directed towards studying therapy, and not the psychotherapists. In order to fill this gap the current study intended to provide a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of therapist values in the Indian context. A concurrent triangulation mixed methods’ study was developed to explore values of experienced therapists, to understand the interplay of their personal and professional values in their professional practice, and to study the various sources of their values. A self-designed questionnaire and the Portrait Value Questionnaire were used to obtain the quantitative data. The qualitative data was obtained through in-depth interviews with the participants. The findings of the study suggest an integration of personal and professional values. The four value priorities of the participants were benevolence (care and compassion), honesty, self-direction (growth and respect) and universalism (equality and justice). The main sources of their values were reported as family, training, clients and religion and spirituality. A model was developed to represent the interplay of therapists’ personal and professional values and their influence on psychotherapeutic practice.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    According to Garza and Watts (2010) filial therapy is both a therapeutic and a preventive approach. In filial therapy, unlike family therapy, the parent is placed in the therapeutic role, and the therapist utilizes the ‘natural bond’ between the parent and the child.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge all the participant counsellors for making time and sharing their experiences for the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dehradun, India

    Rashmi Rangarajan

  2. School of Human Ecology, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India

    Chetna Duggal

Authors
  1. Rashmi Rangarajan
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  2. Chetna Duggal
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rashmi Rangarajan .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Human Ecology, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

    Sujata Sriram

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Rashmi Rangarajan, Chetna Duggal (2016). Exploring Values of Therapists in India. In: Sriram, S. (eds) Counselling in India. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0584-8_6

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