Is it stressful to be a psychotherapist? – A discussion of the concept of ”compassion fatigue”

– EN DISKUSSION AF BEGREBET ”OMSORGSTRÆTHED”

Abstract

Recently it has been argued that being a psychotherapist is stressful because of the fact that we share the patients difficult and painful emotions. Through
critical readings of published writings about the concept the arguments behind this idea are discussed including theory about the empathic process
primarily from the psychoanalytic tradition. It is argued that the psychologists supporting the concept seem to view the empathic process in at way
that leaves the therapist with no inner space to consider and digest her own feelings and reactions. It is also argued that the view of the therapist’s primary
task is seen as mirroring and supporting the patient with the risk of giving no attention to negative reactions in both themselves and the patients. Possible
reasons behind the popularity of the concept are considered and it is concluded that there seem to be no reason why the patients’ suffering in itself
should be stressful for therapists but that the therapists’ misunderstandings of the empathic process and their need to be viewed as all good put them in
serios risk of overload and stress through their lack of attention to their own reactions to the patients and the therapeutic process.