Psychotherapist’s responses toward suicidal patients: analyzed from a junior psychotherapist’s experience

• Main Authors: Yang, Pi-Hua, 楊璧華
• Other Authors: Chen, Wan-Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2018
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/eqsw6b

碩士 === 國立政治大學 === 輔導與諮商碩士學位學程 === 106 === 　　This research aims to present and analyze a junior psychotherapist’s nine (9) –month experience in treating a suicidal patient (who has attempted to suicide before the treatment, attempted to suicide in the initial stage of the treatment, and having long term suicidal ideation thereafter). This research is conducted by narrative analysis method, and the main findings of which are as follows: 1.The junior psychotherapist experienced panic in emotion, and uncertainty in response, when facing the patient’s suicide attempt in the initial stage of the treatment. The core triggers of such experience are “death” and “responsibility.” 2.The junior psychotherapist experienced “countertransference hate” when facing the patient’s long term suicidal ideation. 3.In the initial stage of the treatment when the junior psychotherapist knew little about the patient, the psychotherapist may view the patient’s decision to suicide from his own values, as opposed to the patient’s, and may　readily take it negatively. 4.When the junior psychotherapist got time to know the patient, and got time to clarify his role responsibilities as a psychotherapist, he got to see the patient’s suffering behind the suicidal ideation, and then psychotherapy began. 5.Time is of essence in transforming the junior psychotherapist’s experience. 　　At the end, the researcher suggests psychotherapists to think through how they value suicide and death, and to think through how they treat suicidal patients, so as not to take unethical actions upon suicidal patients especially during the initial stage of the treatment. The researcher also suggests psychotherapists understand the countertransference hate which may easily be aroused by the patient’s long term suicidal ideation, so as to help awareness and avoid acting out.