Hängt das Selbsterleben von Patient*innen in der Psychotherapiestunde mit ihrem Bindungsmuster zusammen? Ergebnisse einer Pilotstudie

Abstract

Is there a relation between patients’ attachment pattern and the way they experience themselves in psychotherapy sessions? Results of a pilot study. Attachment theory describes different strategies of how people can handle current situations of threat or (inner) distress emotionally and interpersonally based on previous attachment experiences. A distinction is made between a secure, deactivating and hyperactivating strategy and corresponding patterns of secure, insecure-avoiding and insecure-ambivalent attachment. The study investigates whether the self-experience of patients in therapy varies depending on their pattern of attachment. It is assumed that the self-experience is less problematic or more positive for patients with a secure attachment pattern and shows different characteristics for the insecure attachment patterns. In addition, it is assumed that the expected differences are pronounced in the beginning of therapy. The first 15 therapy sessions of 55 patients in person-centered individual psychotherapy were examined. The pattern of attachment was assessed using the Bielefeld Clients’ Expectations Questionnaire and the self-experience in therapy sessions with the Bielefeld Client Experience Questionnaire. The first five therapy sessions were combined as the initial phase of therapy and compared with the following hours. The statistical analyzes (H- and Wilcoxon-test) confirm the hypotheses to a large extent, although the results should be considered preliminary, in particular due to the small sample size. Detailed considerations are made with regard to further studies and recommendations for therapeutic practice are given.