Examining therapists' experience of authenticity during moments of disconnection in psychotherapy sessions and the place of authentcity in professional identity

This study aims to examine how experienced therapists and therapists in supervision as part of their master's degree program experience authenticity during moments of disconnection in psychotherapy sessions, and how authenticity has a place in their professional identities. This study was conducted through interpretive phenomenological analysis, with a total of twelve participants recruited through purposive sampling. One of the main findings of the analysis was that while experienced therapists sought to understand the moments of disconnection with curiosity, and utilize authenticity as a useful tool in these moments, therapists in the supervision process tended to cope with these moments with feelings of anxiety by acting in accordance with their professional identity. The other main finding indicated that while experienced therapists experience authenticity in an integrated and flexible manner with their professional identity, and use authenticity as a tool within professional boundaries, therapists in the supervision process feel more secure when operating with their professional identity and may distance themselves from authenticity due to concerns about causing harm to the client. The findings were discussed in the light of the literature.