Abstract

Aim: Differences in therapeutic outcome can be explained to a significant extent as a therapist effect (Baldwin & Imel, 2013; Owen, Drinane, Idigo, & Valentine, 2015; Wampold, 2001). In the study of treatment success and failure, knowledge about the subjective experience of the therapist has only recently been studied, including how this varies over the professional career (Orlinsky & Rønnestad, 2005; Rønnestad & Skovholt, 2003, 2013). Relatively little is known about the subjective experience of the day by day impact of doing psychotherapy on the therapist, the relationship with his/her wellbeing and the influence of these experiences on the subjective career construction. The present study is about the relationship between therapist´s experiences of failure and success in therapy and his/her subjective career construction, enhancing the role of the context. Method: Using grounded theory in combination with a model of autobiographical account, the psychotherapeutic experiences in lifespan of 10 German and Chilean therapists with different levels of working experience will be analyzed; also the experience in a specific psychotherapeutic process of 10 German and Chilean therapists. In a second analysis both perspectives on therapeutic experience will be integrated. Results: The therapist´s experiences of success and failure in therapy, their subjective meaning and their management strategies changes over time, being influenced by the context. Discussion: The results are discussed considering the notion of professional development and identity construction around experiences of success and failure with clients, enhancing the role of changing political and sociocultural context in Chile and Germany