The intuition phenomenon in psychotherapy: A hermeneutic approach

• Main Author: 李正源
• Other Authors: 卓紋君
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/21697313112834896355

博士 === 高雄師範大學 === 輔導與諮商研究所 === 98 === Based on the hermeneutic approach, this study tried to understand the intuition phenomenon happened in psychotherapy. By inviting four experienced psychotherapists (1 male and 3 females) who have had profound intuition experiences in their practices, the researcher was able to interview each of them for 2-3 hours through a dialogic process. In the hermeneutic circle, the researcher had dialogues with the literature and the text back and forth, and back to himself for reflection. Finally, the holistic interpretation of the intuition phenomenon fell on the researcher intuitively is listed as follows: 1.The emergence process of intuition in psychotherapy has five steps. (1) The therapist practices Fan-Shen or reflection daily. (2) The therapist’s clarity is transferred to the therapeutic field. (3) The therapist gives the client genuine care. (4) The client opens up. (5) The timing is mature. 2.The emergence of intuition in psychotherapy has to meet three conditions: You-Shih or timing, Yong-Cheng or genuine, and existence. You-Shih includes encounter, mature and high source. Yong-Cheng includes two parts. (1) Inwardly, Fan-Shen means the therapist’s reflection by using awareness and Sin-Jhai (meditaion). (2) Outwardly, Yong-Cheng shows genuine care, including maternity, attention, openness, and professional devotion. The existence consists of “existence induces existence” and “existence delivers messages.” 3.This study defined intuition in psychotherapy as “In the therapeutic field, when the interaction of You-Shih, Yong-Cheng and existence surpasses a critical point, the therapist’s consciousness has a leap and Oneness forms, subsequently leading to the result that the therapist directly knows the client”. The three conditions influence one another. Among these three conditions, the therapist can only endeavor upon Yong-Cheng. 4.The interpretation of intuition in this study is closer to the viewpoint of Chinese culture. There are different views between this study and the West on the followings: (1) preparing or mastering, (2) a process or a goal, and (3) sensibility or analysis. 5.As to handling an intuition, if the therapist can “hold” it, he or she will consider two things intellectually: (1) Is it a real intuition or a personal issue? (2) Is the client ready? If the therapist cannot hold the intuition, the intuition itself will naturally take control without any interventions from their minds. When a distant and negative intuition takes place, the therapist could make a contact with the client in order to confirm the client’s status; if it is not urgent, then the therapist will leave it until the next session. When a heart-with-heart intuition happens, the therapist and the client both have a smile inside and the silence at this moment is full of tension. Not using any words, both the therapist and the client understand each other fully. 6.Intuition helps the therapist understand the client deeply or stride to the core of the client’s problem directly. Once the therapist handles the intuition, the pace of the psychotherapy always speeds up. However, from the perspective of You-Shih, the speed-up is bound to happen. 7.Most subjects in this study did not pursue intuition in psychotherapy intentionally, but just being there. Therefore placing too much emphasis on intuition and pursuing it on purpose is very likely to put one in danger of must-have and over-effort. Thus, the therapist should focus on Yong-Cheng instead of pursuing intuition. 8.The interpretation of this study suggests that most intuition cannot be trained directly, but can be prepared for it. Therefore, what should be improved is not the quality of the therapist’s intuition, but the quality of the therapist’s existence, because the key of intuition is the therapist, not the technique. According to the interpretation of this study, some suggestions were made to the practitioners, on the training and education for psychotherapists, and to the future researchers.