Therapeutic Relationship and Professional Burnout in Psychotherapists: A structural Equation Model Approach

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Date
2021
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Abstract
Objective Previous studies on the therapists’ burnout have focused on individual and environmental risk factors. This study aimed to analyze whether variables reflecting the quality of relationship with clients—relational depth and quality of the therapeutic interaction—can be related to psychotherapist burnout. Four alternative path models were examined. Method A total of 101 humanistic-experiential psychotherapists, aged between 29 and 86 years, participated in the research. The Relational Depth Frequency Scale, the Scale to Assess the Therapeutic Relationship, the Psychological Well-Being Scale and the Link Burnout Questionnaire were applied to the research. Results The results showed that relational depth and therapeutic quality correlated negatively with psychotherapist burnout. Relational depth is the main predictor of psychological well-being and psychotherapist burnout through its effect on therapeutic quality. Conclusion The experiences of relational depth, primarily of person-centered therapists, have positive psychological potential in predicting lower professional burnout.
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burnout, psychotherapists, relational depth, psychotherapeutic relationship, well-being
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