Personal style of the therapist and personality dimensions in a sample of Argentinian therapists

Abstract

The Personal Style of the Therapist (PST) is an important aspect to assess in the therapeutic process. Previous research has explored therapist’s profiles and their differences according to a variety of theoretical orientations, as well as the association between these profiles and personality traits. This study aims to put together these lines of research through a cluster analysis. The specific goals were to describe the profiles of therapists with respect to the functions of the PST and personality traits; and to analyze whether the professionals’ profiles and their theoretical orientations were related. The sample was comprised of 546 Argentinian therapists. The Personal Style of the Therapist Questionnaire (PST-Q) and the Big Five Inventory (BFI) were used as measuring instruments. Using the methodology of hierarchical analysis based on a cluster analysis integrating the five factors of the PST, a four-cluster solution was confirmed to be the most satisfactory. Subsequently, a cluster analysis of k-means based on the five factors of each test (PST-Q and BFI) was performed. Finally, the relationship between the clusters and theoretical orientation and years of clinical practice was assessed, rendering positive outcomes. The results are discussed based on previous research studies and the significance of studying the therapist’s personal variables and their connection with psychotherapy efficacy.

Psychotherapy Style Scale: Development and Validation

“…Therapy style is conceptualized as a habitual way of working that is influenced by personality, training background, and other factors. These conclusions are consistent with the views of Fernandez-Alvarez and colleagues ( Casari et al, 2019 ).…”

“…The PST-Q assesses five dimensions of bipolar functions: instructional (flexibility/rigidity), expressive (distance/closeness), engagement (lesser degree/greater degree), attentional (broad focused/narrow focused), and operative (spontaneous/planned). Some empirical studies established a relationship between PST-Q scores and personality factors, the type of clinical client, the duration of treatment, the type of therapy, years of professional experience, and professional training, among others (Castañeiras et al, 2006;Casari et al, 2017Casari et al, , 2019. Although the PST-Q has satisfactory psychometric properties and theoretical validity, its attentional and operative dimensions have a significant factorial weighting on the same factors, and the meaning of the operative dimension is fairly complex.…”

“…Therapist variables that are relevant to clinical practice can be divided into demographic and professional variables. Among professional variables, the style of the therapist has received the most attention ( Casari et al, 2019 ). Different therapy styles have been proposed, and some measures to classify them have been suggested.…”

Psychotherapists' personality traits and their influence on treatment processes and outcomes: A scoping review

“…Therapists' personality traits (specifically: agreeableness, extraversion, and openness) were generally associated with beneficial interpersonal skills, although the strength and significance varied across studies. High scores on these personality traits were commonly linked to elevated empathy, genuineness, respect for clients, concreteness (Saarnio, 2010, 2011c), expressive function (extraversion; Casari et al, 2019), and universal‐diverse orientation (Thompson et al, 2002). A weak association was also found between these personality traits and therapists' tendency to cry in therapy (Blume‐Marcovici et al, 2013).…”

Therapists’ Contributions to the Alliance in Home-Based Family Treatment: The Role of Alliance Building Behaviors, Personality, and Clinical Experience

“…The review by Ackerman and Hilsenroth (2003) indicated that therapists' trustworthiness was associated with stronger alliances, which supports the hypothesis that therapists' conscientiousness may positively impact the alliance. However, a recent study on personal style and personality dimensions of therapists providing individual, group or family therapy found that conscientiousness negatively impacted therapists' emotional closeness with their clients, possibly hampering the building of a strong alliance (Casari et al, 2019).…”