Anger experiences of psychotherapists who work with trauma

Individual psychotherapy practices have two-person dynamics as their base principle. Within this base, psychological and sometimes quite emotional interactions occur. Like other emotions, anger can arise in therapeutic relationships. However, unlike natural human interactions, in psychotherapy, therapists are expected to suppress the reflection of their anger to a professional degree while maintaining their emotions. This situation involves a conflict with the therapist's natural experience of emotion and their role as a mental health professional. Especially while working with trauma, psychotherapists' experiences of anger might become more challenging and if cannot attended to may negatively affect the outcome of the therapy. So far in clinical literature, there has been little research done about trauma therapists' anger experiences in therapy. In this thesis study, I collected qualitative data from seven experienced clinical psychologists by conducting interviews about their emotional encounters at their work. All participants were working at or involved with psychological support centers that are open to clients with a traumatic history. The gathered data were analyzed through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The observed themes regarding therapists' anger point to three main objects of anger: perpetrators, clients, and therapists' selves. Participants' handling ways of anger in sessions is analyzed depending on who the anger belongs to in the therapy. Additional themes regard feelings associated with anger, and therapists' forms of support in working through anger after sessions.