Tornar-se psicoterapeuta : a construção inicial da carreira clínica de psicólogas(os) fenomenológico-existenciais

Abstract

This research investigates the initial stages of building a clinical career for newly graduated psychotherapists who have chosen the phenomenological-existential approach as their professional framework. The study begins by examining the literature to understand the foundations of the phenomenological-existential approach and its relevance in contemporary practice. Subsequently, bibliographic reviews were conducted to discuss the training of psychotherapists, followed by psychotherapy as a professional practice for psychologists. The phenomenological-hermeneutic qualitative research method, based on Analytic of the Sense, was adopted to address the question: what are the ways of feeling, thinking, and acting intertwined in the web of meanings involved in becoming a psychotherapist? The objective is to investigate the experiences of individuals who have decided to start their professional careers in phenomenological-existential psychotherapy and are, therefore, in the early years of psychotherapeutic practice, navigating the challenges of entering the job market and professional development. Four participants, who graduated between 2018 and 2023 and identified themselves as phenomenological-existential psychotherapists, were selected for semi-structured interviews. These interviews were transcribed and validated, then transformed into narratives about each participant's experiences at the onset of their professional lives as phenomenological-existential psychotherapists. Subsequently, the narratives related to the literature to identify insights and answers to the research question. The study addressed themes such as the importance of the psychotherapeutic triad — personal psychotherapy, supervision, and continuous education — in shaping psychotherapists; the challenges and investments involved in starting a private practice; the susceptibility to precarious work conditions given the need to make psychotherapy a sustainable source of income; the changes brought about by the pandemic and technological advancements; the significance of building a network of identification to support the challenges and inherent solitude of clinical practice; and, finally, the specificities of practicing psychotherapy from a phenomenological-existential perspective. This study reflects on the unique ways in which professionals from a minority approach enter the job market, considering the socio-historical dynamics that shape contemporary clinical practice. It reveals a process of professional development and integration characterized by insecurities, potentials, challenges, adaptation, and redefinitions that contribute to the construction of the psychotherapist's identity and prompt a rethinking of the training of these early-career professionals. This research aims to improve the training of psychologists, given that a majority choose psychotherapy as their professional practice.