Open AccessFunktionen der Sprache in der Psychotherapie: Eine qualitative Studie zu subjektiven Theorien der „talking cure“ von Psychotherapeut*innen
Author(s) -
Christopher Marx,
Rajana Bildhauer,
Tina Friedrich,
Nadine Ackermann,
Cord Benecke,
Antje Gumz
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
zeitschrift für psychosomatische medizin und psychotherapie
Language(s) - German
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.203
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 2196-8349
pISSN - 1438-3608
DOI - 10.13109/zptm.2021.67.1.36
Subject(s) - psychology , psychodynamics , experiential learning , psychotherapist , qualitative research , sociology , social science , mathematics education
Functions of language in psychotherapy: A qualitative study of psychotherapists' subjective theories of the "talking cure" Objectives: Psychotherapy is traditionally considered as a "talking cure". The specific functions of verbal activity, however, are disputed. The present study aims at identifying central therapeutic functions of verbal activity. Methods: In qualitative interviews n = 23 psychotherapists with psychodynamic (n = 12) or behavioral (n = 11) background were interviewed regarding their theories of the "talking cure." Based on Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) a category system of therapeutic functions of verbal activity was constructed. Results: The participants described a wide range of relational, experiential, and behavioral functions of verbal activity in psychotherapy. Psychodynamic therapists emphasized relational and experiential functions of verbal activity, while behavioral therapists emphasized behavioral functions. Conclusions: The findings imply that verbal activity fulfills diverse functions in therapeutic contexts. This suggests a basic verbal materiality of many therapeutic techniques and common factors that needs to be specified in subsequent research.