Recovery From Depression: How Psychotherapists Come to Know They are Sufficiently Recovered to Practice Competently

Several studies have demonstrated that unprocessed depression amongst psychologists and other mental health therapists can negatively interfere with therapeutic work. While there is a large body of knowledge on both depression and recovery (and in particular, recovery as understood within the wounded healer paradigm), little is known about how these mental health professionals come to know that they have sufficiently recovered from a depressive experience such that the experience now generally aids rather than detracts from their therapeutic work with clients. The present study sought to better understand this aspect of therapist awareness by asking the question: how do mental health therapists come to know they have sufficiently recovered from their depressive experience such that they are now able to provide competent therapy? Participants were ten mental health therapists currently working in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Each participant had at least one significant depressive experiences from which they had deemed themselves sufficiently recovered and were therefore able to speak meaningfully about the experience. In-depth interviews were conducted and transcribed, and the data analyzed using a socially constructed grounded theory methodology. Three key themesâ through intrapersonal functioning, through interpersonal relationships, and through client workâ emerged, suggesting that the participants understood that becoming aware of their recovery involved a sense of adaptive shifting in both their personal and professional functioning as well as direct and indirect feedback from a number of important others in their lives. A mid-level theory was generated from these themes. The role of relationships in awareness of recovery had not been previously noted in the literature and as such is a unique contribution to the literature. Broader implications for the field of counselling and clinical psychology are addressed.Ph.D