Helpful therapeutic practices and effects as viewed by clients in existential group therapy
Purpose. The purpose of this article: is to explore the problematic and effectiveness of psychotherapeutic practices; how the methods of exploring significant therapeutic events can be adapted for use in Russia; and to analyze the results of the research of the effective activities in existential group therapy. Methods. The article presents our findings of helpful therapeutic processes by assessing client activities, therapist activities, and helpful therapeutic effects in group psychotherapy carried out in the existential approach. The data were collected during the group therapy given by Dr. A.E. Alekseicikas "Psychotherapeutic life. Intensive Therapeutic Faith", held in November 2014 in the city of Kemerovo, Russia. To collect the data we used the measures developed by Mick Cooper and John McLeod (2011) and described by them within the framework of the pluralistic approach of psychotherapy they pioneered. The study required to collect reflexive assessments and reports by the participants of the therapeutic group. The purpose of the data collecting and processing, which we analyze in this article, was to identify the meanings of the client and therapist activities which contributed the therapeutic change the most. Findings. Phenomenological interpretation of the responses suggests that the most notable meanings of helpful therapeutic activities are the activities which increase the level of involvement, the intensity of participation, the activity of all the members of the therapeutic process. Among such are the accepting activities (listening, asking questions, and understanding) and creative and even directive activities (permissions, prohibitions, directions). Regarding helpful effects in therapy we have found some significant differences in comparison with the findings obtained by the European scientists. In particular according to our data directive practices and initiative activity of the therapist are not occasional cases of helpful activities but sufficiently regular. Such actions are taken by clients as favorable, therapeutically powerful, allowing them to be more active in the process of therapy and to take a more conscious attitude regarding the therapeutic process. The therapist creates an environment for therapeutic changes in which clients can and are able to perform them. The use of reflexive forms and design of process maps was mainly aimed at improving the therapeutic process. In terms of systemic studies data obtained through these forms can help to describe psychotherapy as space for life in the modalities of relationship and psychotherapy as a process of formation of specific compatibility facilitating/favoring the renewal of life. We assume that the method of relational assessments can be used in a wide range of studying helpful therapeutic processes.