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KEY WORDS
* communication
* education
* occupational therapy
* professional-patient relations
* professional practice
Practitioners' preparation for, attitudes toward, and experience of the therapeutic relationship and use of self were explored using a survey study with a random sample of 1,000 American Occupational Therapy Association members. Participants reported a high value for the therapeutic relationship and use of self; most felt that they were inadequately trained and that the field lacks sufficient knowledge in these areas. Regardless of practitioners' age, gender, experience level, setting, treatment intensity, and client impairment, those who placed higher value on the use of self and had more training related to the therapeutic use of self were more likely to report interpersonal difficulties and feelings of positive regard for clients and were more likely to report concerns about clients. The findings suggest that more attention needs to be paid to the therapeutic relationship and to the therapeutic use of self in education and in research.
Taylor, R. R., Lee, S. W., Kielhofner, G., & Ketkar, M. (2009). Therapeutic use of self: A nationwide survey of practitioners' attitudes and experiences. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 63, 198-207.
Throughout its history, occupational therapy has emphasized the importance of therapists' interactions with clients. Although there has been no consistent terminology to refer to therapist-client interactions (Anderson & Hinojosa, 1984; Ayres-Rosa & Hasselkus, 1996; Cole & McLean, 2003; Eklund, 1996), one of the most common terms is the therapeutic relationship. Discussions of the therapeutic relationship commonly address communication, emotional exchange, collaboration, and partnership between therapists and clients.
The term therapeutic use of self is ordinarily used to refer to therapists' conscious efforts to optimize their interactions with clients (Cole & McLean, 2003; Punwar & Peloquin, 2000). The most widely cited contemporary definition of therapeutic use of self describes it as a therapist's "planned use of his or her personality, insights, perceptions, and judgments as part of the therapeutic process" (Punwar & Peloquin, 2000, p. 285).
Early occupational therapists viewed the therapeutic use of self as a means for encouraging clients to engage in occupation (Kielhofner, 2004; Schwartz, 2003). The role of the therapist was to promote confidence about occupational engagement, to function as an expert and guide, and to act an emulator of...