Conference Agenda

This phenomenological research creatively describes the experience based insights of six practitioners around the use of self disclosure in their practice. Complimentary to those are my own reflexive accounts, specifically how I perceived the relational interviewer - interviewee dynamics. Investigated were differences in disclosure definitions, the diverse effect of the person centred and psychoanalytic modalities in the formation of biases, quantity and quality of use, changes attributed to experience, their ethical decision making process and the disclosures effect on the relationship. The results build a profile of the therapist who accepts the broadness of the term’s definition, bends the rigid boundaries of either therapeutic approach within reason, has become more comfortable with experience using self disclosure infrequently mainly to universalise a shameful experience but in the benefit of the client. These claims, although in line with literature, should be generalised with caution as the available sample was culturally homogenous and female overpowered.

This qualitative dissertation explores the lived experiences of systemic therapists working with clients who face eating disorders, focusing on how these professionals describe their therapeutic work, what systemic strategies they use, and which challenges they encounter. Seven systemic therapists in Greece participated in semi-structured interviews, and the data were analyzed through thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006; Ίσαρη & Πουρκός, 2015).

Findings indicate that therapists describe their experience as deeply shaped by the therapeutic relationship, which they perceive as the foundation of progress. Trust, stability, and corrective relational experiences were emphasized as crucial, often taking on symbolic roles (e.g., paternal figures) for clients with histories of insecure attachment. Regarding strategies, therapists highlighted the importance of systemic interventions that involve families, address dysfunctional communication patterns, and externalize the symptom. Interventions focusing on family dynamics, triangulation, and the re-negotiation of roles were considered effective, particularly when they encouraged differentiation and healthier patterns of closeness and distance.

As for challenges, therapists reported emotional strain, fear of relapse, and difficulties in balancing empathy with professional boundaries. They also described the influence of sociocultural pressures, such as body ideals and stigma, which reinforced symptoms and required sensitive therapeutic navigation. Professionally, participants acknowledged the necessity of supervision, self-reflection, and flexibility to manage the intense emotions and complex systemic patterns that arise.

In conclusion, the study shows that the therapeutic relationship, systemic family engagement, and sociocultural context jointly shape the therapeutic process with eating disorders. The research underscores the need for culturally sensitive, systemic training and ongoing professional support to strengthen therapeutic effectiveness.

Τhis paper represents a qualitative phenomenological study that explores the dynamic process of identity formed in individuals with serious mental illness. The case of British musician Ren Erin Gill is the example we choose in order to investigate how the expression through music can serve as a vehicle for self-understanding, emotional integration and reconstruction of personal identity in the context of psychological and emotional suffering. The material we used has been published by Ren himself. Drawing upon basically phenomenological and hermeneutic frameworks, we emphasize on lived experience as a source of knowledge about creativity, embodiment and selfhood.

The first part of the study examines phenomenomenological theoretical perspectives focusing on psychosis (as a form of serious mental illness), intersubjectivity and the nature of identity formation. Phenomenology turns the light on the experiences of people with serious mental illness.Our analytic framework interpretative phenomenological analysis is also drawn on phenomenology. Identity is conceptualized not as a fixed entity but as an evolving process formed through social interaction narrative self- reflection. The second part focuses on Ren’s autobiographical music work, analyzing the ways in which he externalizes inner conflicts and facilitates the process of meaning in his lyrics and performances. Transforming pain, suffering and disappointment into lyrics, Ren constructs a coherent sense of self that transcends the traumatic experiences in the mental health system. To understand Ren’s personal experience deeper, we conducted interpretative phenomenological analysis on some of his songs.

The findings underscore the therapeutic potential of artistic creativity as a form of phenomenological self- exploration and emotional regulation. This work contributes to the phenomenological understanding of identity formation within the lived experience of mental illness and highlights the necessity for mental health professionals to integrate expressive meaning - centered approaches in supporting clients’ identity reconstruction.

The therapeutic relationship is widely regarded as a cornerstone of effective psychotherapy. This qualitative study explored how psychotherapists themselves experience the process of constructing this relationship. Six women psychotherapists from different theoretical orientations in Greece participated in semi-structured interviews, and the data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), with a focus on participants’ lived experiences and the meanings they ascribed to them.

Three Group Experiential Themes (GETs) were identified. The first, Adapting to the client, comprised four Personal Experiential Themes (PETs): collecting information, acknowledging differences in therapeutic approaches, empathy as understanding, and interaction over time. The second, Trust, encompassed two PETs: confidentiality and professional consistency, and the absence of judgment as foundations for a safe therapeutic environment. The third, Education and experience, included two PETs: the psychotherapist as guide and travel companion, and therapeutic approaches as alternatives.

The findings highlight the multidimensional and dynamic nature of the therapeutic relationship, illustrating how psychotherapists integrate self-awareness, empathy, reflexivity, and professional flexibility into their practice. By illuminating therapists’ experiential claims, concerns, and meanings, this study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the therapeutic relationship and suggests implications for psychotherapy training, supervision, and the professional development of mental health.

This research was conducted as part of my undergraduate dissertation at Metropolitan College, Greece, in collaboration with the University of East London.

This presentation will attempt to illustrate how real-life events have a bearing on career choice and how clients may later revisit their original decision and re-direct their career trajectory towards career goals that may have been present but were obfuscated because of traumas, beliefs and fears. The author does this using real stories which illustrate how people may choose careers as a direct result of situations and events in their lives rather than through a cognitive choice. However, working through their personal issues may help them to tweak their choices. The author uses a narrative approach and draws on 35 years of experiences with clients to address the subject