The process of therapist congruence: an exploration of personal and professional development through a life-story method

de Condé, Hubert;Willemsen, Jochem;Zech, Emmanuelle
(2026) 17th World Conference on Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapy and Counseling — Location: Cologne, Allemagne (8.July.2026)

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Abstract
Motivation: This study builds on a self-integrated approach to therapists’ Personal and Professional Development (PPD), defined as the dynamic integration of personal growth and professional competencies. Prior research underscores the importance of the person-of-the-therapist in therapeutic effectiveness and highlights how significant personal and professional experiences shape therapists’ lifelong development. Based on a literature review, a conceptual model of integrated PPD was developed. Problem: This study aims to examine this model phenomenologically through the concept of congruence, understood as the alignment between lived experience and self-awareness, enabling deeper integration of previously incoherent or threatening experiences. Methodology: We will recruit 4–5 person-centered therapists with 5 to 20 years of clinical experience and postgraduate training in person-centered psychotherapy. Participants will be contacted through professional networks and associations and will partake after giving informed consent. A qualitative life-story method will be used to collect rich, subjective narratives of developmental experiences. Each participant will complete two life-story interviews (1 hour each) and a final debriefing interview (1 hour). Interviews will explore how therapists experience the process of congruence and how they integrate personal dimensions within their professional development. Data will be analyzed through intra-case and inter-case comparison. Results: Preliminary results will be presented, illustrating how therapists describe their developmental pathways toward greater congruence. Findings will identify meaningful personal and professional experiences that contribute to their PPD, as well as common themes and individual differences across cases. Discussion: Results will be discussed considering existing research on therapist growth, emphasizing the interaction between personal lived experience and professional growth. This study may help refine the proposed conceptual model of integrated PPD and offer insights for professional training, particularly regarding how therapists are experiencing congruence throughout their life and career.
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de Condé, H., Willemsen, J., & Zech, E. (2026, July 10). The process of therapist congruence: an exploration of personal and professional development through a life-story method. 17th World Conference on Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapy and Counseling, Cologne, Allemagne. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/278856