ABOUT THE STUDY
The aim of this study is to explore: How do psychodynamic therapists experience and make sense of fusion with clients? Fusion describes a state where therapist and client have become emotionally or relationally tangled. It is often referred to as merging, enmeshment or over鈥搃nvolvement, and intersects with psychodynamic concepts including individuation and countertransference. Like gravity, fusion is not a directly observable phenomenon; it becomes apparent through its effects, and affects, on the therapist and their client.
This study hopes to gain a deeper understanding of how therapists experience and make sense of fusion, and how these experiences influence therapeutic practice, professional boundaries, and reflective self-understanding.
To do this, the study will focus on the following:
- How fusion is understood
- How the experience is described
- How the experience is made sense of
- How the experience impacts therapists
ABOUT PARTICIPATION
The invitation to participate is open to the following:
Psychotherapists & counsellors who work psychodynamically
In active clinical practice with at least one regular client
With at least 2 years post鈥搎ualification experience (post鈥揼raduate level studies in counselling or psychotherapy)
Who has experienced fusion with a client (or clients) in their clinical work
Participation involves a one鈥搕o鈥搊ne interview with the researcher (approximately 60鈥�90 minutes for in person interviews, and 50-60 minutes for online interviews). Interviews will take place either face鈥搕o鈥揻ace or via video call depending on your location, and will be audio鈥搑ecorded with prior consent. The interview will cover topics such as your therapeutic context, your experience of fusion, how you made sense of it and what was the impact on yourself, and your work. Following interviews, recordings will be transcribed verbatim and analysed for use in the final dissertation write鈥搖p.
To express your interest, contact the researcher, Anne Brassier
For more information, please see here.
To view the participant information sheet, please see here.
