Burnout and experienced limitations as a therapist : a qualitative study of Norwegian psychotherapists

Abstract

ABSTRACT Little research has been done on how burned out psychotherapists are experiencing limitations as therapists. The aim of the present study was to do an explorative qualitative analysis of the main limitations experienced as therapist in a strategic sample of burned out Norwegian psychotherapists. A second focus in this study was to investigate how these experienced limitations could shed new light on burnout as a phenomenon. The data used in the present study was collected as part of a larger international study of the development of psychotherapist, the International Study of the Development of Psychotherapists (ISDP), conducted by the Collaborative Research Network (CRN). A specific selection of data from the Norwegian contribution to the ISDP study, consisting of Norwegian clinical psychologists working as psychotherapist, was examined. Five broad categories of limitations were described: lack of professional efficacy, being to goal oriented, relational difficulties in therapy, basic doubts concerning own qualifications, and difficult work conditions. Furthermore, the limitations were described as manifested through therapist own experience or through experienced difficulties in the therapeutic work. The major attribution of these limitations was to reasons associated with internal personal self. Suggestions were also made on how to categorize recent changes reported by the psychotherapists. Possible ways of understanding the limitations experienced by the burned out psychotherapists were suggested. Based on the discussion of the limitations, theoretical considerations concerning burnout as a phenomenon were given. The results found in this study suggested that internal personal characteristics might be major contributors in the process of burning out. This was discussed in light of Maslach and Leiter’s model of burnout and Hallsten’s process model of burnout.