An exploration of therapists' intersession experiences in the context of challenging and satisfying moments

The primary aim of this thesis is to gain an in-depth understanding of the challenging and satisfying between-session experiences of psychotherapists. A qualitative research design was adopted, utilizing the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) method. The study sample consists of seven novice and seven experienced psychotherapists. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants, and the data were analyzed through the interpretative phenomenological approach. The findings are presented within the framework of challenging and satisfying moments as experienced by novice and experienced psychotherapists. Two superordinate themes were identified for challenging moments: (1) Experiencing a challenging moment is also part of being a therapist and (2) The sessions ended, but the challenging moments did not let me go. Likewise, two superordinate themes emerged for satisfying moments: (1) Experiencing a satisfying moment is also part of being a therapist and (2) The sessions ended, but the satisfying moments stayed with me. These themes are discussed in light of the relevant literature.