Therapeutic Interaction: A Perception of Therapist towards Patients with Anxiety Disorder

IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS)
Volume 20, Issue 1, Ver. III (Jan. 2015), PP 65-69
e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845.
www.iosrjournals.org
DOI: 10.9790/0837-20136569 www.iosrjournals.org 65 | Page
Therapeutic Interaction: A Perception of Therapist towards
Patients with Anxiety Disorder
Uzma Zaidi1
1
(Assistant Professor, Department of Health, College of Health and Rehabilitation, Princess Nora Bint
AbdulRahman University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)
Abstract: The present research was conducted (a) to describe the socio-demographic information of
psychotherapist providing therapy to patients of anxiety disorder (b) to examine the therapeutic interaction on
various variables of therapeutic participation, resistance and dysphoric concern (related to patient’s
responses), and directive support for the patients (variable related to his/herself). It was hypothesized that
therapist would rate significantly high on therapeutic interaction (therapeutic participation, directive support,
resistance and dysphoric concerns) with anxiety patient. Sample comprised of thirty five psychotherapist
providing therapy to diagnosed anxiety patients in OPD (Outdoor patient department). Psychotherapy Process
Inventory was administered to assess perception of therapeutic interaction of psychotherapist. Descriptive
statistics and one sample t test were calculated for the analysis of data. Results revealed that most of the
therapists, possessed MS degree in Clinical Psychology. Results indicate that there is a significant high rating
on therapeutic interaction, therapeutic participation, directive support, resistance and dysphoric concern of the
psychotherapist who are providing therapy to the anxiety patients. Therapeutic interaction is perceived by the
therapist as supportive, whereas participation, resistance and dysphoric concerns of the patients were also
perceived high by the therapist in initial sessions. Findings will be helpful for psychologist and other
professionals to plan the therapeutic interventions for anxiety patients.
Keywords: Anxiety disorders, therapeutic interaction, therapeutic participation,
I. Introduction
Psychotherapy is the psychological treatment process in which a trained person deliberately establishes
a professional relationship with the patient with the objectives of removing, modifying, or retarding existing
symptoms, mediating disturbed patterns of behaviour, and promoting positive personality growth and
development.[1,2]
Most practitioners of any theoretical perspective concerned that a positive relationship between patient
and therapist is a necessary precondition for psychotherapy. Fiedler's found that therapists of different school of
psychology agree upon a warm, accepting, and understanding relationship.[3, 4,5]
Every school of thought gives
appropriate significance and emphasize upon quality of therapeutic relationship between therapist and client.[6,7,8
,9,10]
Therapeutic processes involve therapists and clients developing a therapeutic relationship on the one hand,
and the therapist using specific strategies on the other.[11]
The growth of therapeutic relationships follows
distinct stages involving planning, contracting, assessment, therapy, managing resistance or ambivalence about
change and disengagement.[12]
Akhtar, Verma, Pershod, and Verma described that therapeutic relationship may
have three phases: orientating, working, and terminating. The trace of phases covers one to one relationship,
discussion on mutually agreed goals and termination of relationship after achieving the mutually argued
goals.[13]
The therapist should form a collaborative partnership in which clients are experts on the specific
features of their own situation and therapists are experts on general scientific and clinical information relevant to
psychological development and the broad class of problems of which the presenting problem is a specific
instance.[14]
Wilkins pointed out the research concerning the impact of patient expectations on future therapeutic
outcome is fraught with difficulties.[15]
Client’s motivation, desire for therapy, and expectations of change may
have more to do with prompting the patient to primarily become involved in therapy than with directly
influencing the therapeutic process or its outcome. Therapists spend a great deal too preliminary time in therapy
attempting to facilitate patient’s exploration and understanding of how they may help or hinder their own
functioning. If client take responsibility for his or her inability to adapt, cope, or perform particular activities,
the therapist will be able to assist the patient through the process of therapeutic change.
There are some certain characteristics attached with same disorders that may influence the person and
eventually the therapeutic process. People with peak anxiety may preoccupied with their thoughts process and
may not be adherent to therapy.[16,17]
The anxiety disorders are a group of mental disturbances characterized by
anxiety as a central or core symptom. Although anxiety is a commonplace experience, not everyone who

Therapeutic Interaction: A Perception of Therapist towards Patients with Anxiety Disorder
experiences it has an anxiety disorder. Anxiety is associated with a wide range of physical illnesses, medication
side effects, and other psychiatric disorders.[18]
According to DSM-V anxiety disorders include phobia, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder,
obsessive compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and acute stress disorder.[19]
A patient with anxiety
disorder has recurrent, inexplicable attacks of intense fear. Anxiety attacks alone are not sufficient for the
diagnosis; a person must be worried about the potential of having another attack. Anxiety attacks sometimes
lead to fear and avoidance of being in places where escape would be difficult if another were to occur, known as
agoraphobia.[20]
Prognosis of anxiety disorder based upon many factors. Most anxiety patients may never receive
treatment. Data from different studies indicated that only about 25% of individuals with anxiety disorder ever
receive treatment or remit.[21.22]
Anxiety disorders are much more common among woman than men. The focus
of anxiety, the prevalence of anxiety disorders, and the specific symptoms expressed may be shaped by
culture.[20,23]
There are many effective treatments for anxiety disorder ranging from therapy to self -help and
medication. There are a variety of forms of psychotherapy, but in most cases, the therapist tries to help the client
identify and overcome the cause of the symptoms. Most clients are seen individually, but some are seen in group
therapy, and because of financial pressures, more use is made of time limited psychotherapy.[24]
There are some certain outcome studies that are related to treatment of anxiety disorder patient.
Researchers found that patient of anxiety disorder are motivated and have insight.[12,25]
It came into notice that
treatment process is a complex phenomenon. It involves many factors regarding therapist variable and variables
related to therapist personality, expectation of both (therapist and client) from therapy and different perceptive
of school of thoughts related to treatment are equally important.
II. Objectives
This study aims to find out the nature of interaction and process of therapy between therapist and
patient with anxiety disorder exclusively regarding the perception of therapist toward therapeutic relationship.
Perception of every person is of prime importance because it affects the performance. Different therapist views
the initial therapeutic interaction differently due to their perspectives. Further these views are related to therapist
himself as well as of patient. Generally it is assumed that patients with anxiety disorder are easy to treat but do
not get engaged with therapy process for longer duration. Even they respond to therapy in follow up of 12
months with 50% ratio.[26]
Thus this study is designed to investigate the perception of therapist about therapy
process with anxiety patients.
III. Hypotheses
Keeping in view the literature review following hypotheses was formulated:
Therapist would rate significantly high on therapeutic interaction (therapeutic participation, directive support,
resistance and dysphoric concerns) with anxiety patient.
IV. Methodology
4.1 Participants
The sample size was comprised of 35 psychologists who are dealing with diagnosed anxiety patients
from OPD of psychiatry departments. Samples were recruited from different Hospitals of Lahore that included
Mayo, Services, Jinnah, Ganga Ram Hospital and Punjab Institute of Mental Health. Purposive sampling
technique was used to collect the data. Therapists who were dealing with anxiety patients and having an
experience of two years were included in this research. Data was gathered form those therapists who have taken
minimum four and maximum eight sessions with adult anxiety patient. Qualification of therapist was
Postgraduate diploma, MS and PhD in clinical psychology.
4.2 Measures
A socio-demographic form, along with standardized scales of Psychotherapy Process Inventory was
used in this study.
4.2.1 Demographic Form
Demographic information form was used to collect information such as age, gender, marital status,
education, year of experience of therapist and therapeutic techniques used for anxiety patients.
4.2.2 Psychotherapy Process Inventory
The psychotherapy process inventory yield four factors and is to be completed by the therapist. [1]
It is a
process inventory that yields information about the therapist’s perception of both his and her own and the
patient’s behavior. The factors reflected the degree to which the patient is being resistant, the degree to which

the therapist is providing appropriate and active support, the amount dysphoric concerns expressed by the
patient and the degree to which the patient is participating activity in facilitating his growth. Expected mean
scores and factors composition are 3.00(0.60), 2.63 (0.70), 2.61 (0.60) and 3.15(0.59). It is 74 item checklists
and each item carries a labeled five point rating scale. Reliability coefficients of this inventory were .92, .87,
.83, and .79. [27]
4.3 Procedure
In order to conduct this research, some ethical considerations were kept in mind. Permission to utilize
the scale was taken from the author through e-mail. Official permission was sought from the administration of
the selected departments for the data collection. The consent form was given to the participants and the nature of
the study was explained before administration of the questionnaire. The questionnaire was given to the
participants to be completed by the therapists. The duration of administration was of 30-40 minutes. Statistical
analysis was performed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 17.0. Descriptive statistics was
used to calculate the frequency and percentage to describe the socio- demographic variable. One sample t-test
was applied to determine the therapeutic interaction of therapist with anxiety patients.
V. Results and Discussion
Table 1
Demographic Information of the therapist variables (N= 35)
Variable f % M SD
Age
21-30 16 44.4%
1.80 0.8631-40 11 30.6%
41-50 7 19.4%
51-60 1 2.8%
Gender
Male 8 22.2%
Female 27 75.0%
Marital Status
Married 18 50.6
Unmarried 17 47.2
Education
ADCP 6 16.7
MS 9 52.8
PHD 10 27.8
Year of Experience
1-10 26 72.2
1.34 0.6311-12 6 16.7
21-30 3 8.3
Therapy use for Anxiety patient
CBT 15 41.7
Psychoanalytic 9 25.0
CCT 6 16.7
Behavior therapy 4 11.1
Reality therapy 1 2.8
Note. f= frequency, %= percentage, M=Mean and SD=Standard Deviation
Table 2
One sample T-test for the therapist rating on therapeutic interaction (therapeutic participation; resistance;
dysphoric concern and directive support) with anxiety patient (N=35).
Variable M S.D t Sig
Therapeutic interaction 233.37 15.69 87.94 .000
Therapeutic Participation 69.80 9.48 43.57 .000
Resistance 71.37 6.06 69.63 .000
Dysphoric concern 46.25 7.31 37.41 .000
Directive support 54.31 5.05 63.69 .000
df = 34, p < .05
Results (Table 1) indicated that most of the therapists were related to the age group of 21-30 year (46
%). Most of the therapist comprised of female (77%). Findings showed that 51% of the therapists were married.
Results also indicated that of 54% of the therapists have MS degrees in Clinical Psychology. Almost 74%
therapists had experience of 2-10 years. Most of the therapists (43%) used cognitive behavioral technique in
dealing with anxiety patients. Results in table 2 indicate the rating patterns of therapists were significantly high
for therapeutic interaction (t= 87.94, p<.05); therapeutic participation (t= 43.57, p< .05); directive support

(t=63.69, p<.05); resistance (t= 69.63, p<.05) and dysphoric concern (37.41, p<.05) of the psychotherapist who
are working with anxiety patients.
The present research focused to investigate the perceptions about therapeutic interaction of therapist
with anxiety patient. Therapeutic process is an interaction between two individuals in which perception plays
important role. It is evident that therapeutic alliance is vital aspect for successful therapeutic outcome. [28]
The
findings (Table 2) are consistent with prior research.[29]
Previous studies also revealed that the therapist rated
high on therapeutic process for the patients suffering from anxiety disorder. [17,30,31]
Some researchers showed
that there is good therapeutic interaction between therapist and client.[ 28, 32,33]
Another prior research also
showed that relationship of therapist and client which proved that 66 % therapist have normal interaction with
the client while interaction of 44 % is good. This is valid of there is gender difference besides the experience of
the therapist.[34]
Therapist’s perception towards therapeutic process may have two forms: perception towards self and
patient’s responses. Therapist accurate perceptions related to patients suffering from anxiety disorder and
patient’s behavior related to anxiety (i.e. resistance, dysphoric concern, apprehensions, nervousness,
restlessness, unrealistic fears etc.) may enhance support toward patient in therapeutic relationship.[20]
The
support provided by the therapist is also known as directive support.[1]
Consequently it may improve the
participation in the therapeutic process.
In developing countries mental health is not of prime concern in health policies as stigma is attached to
it. Hence, patients with psychiatric problem are reluctant to approach mental health professional. However, if
patients approach to the therapist, may experience extreme anxiety which resulted in high resistance in initiating
treatment. Further it may lead to other issues like adherence with treatment as well as to comply with regime or
mode of treatment.
VI. Conclusion
Findings of the present study have important clinical implications. Clinicians from various schools of
psychology may benefit from using a collaborative approach with their clients. It will be helpful for
psychologists and other professionals to plan the therapeutic interventions for anxiety patients. Furthermore, it
will highlight the importance of initial contact of patient and therapist in therapeutic process. The sample size
was small so the results of the study cannot generalize to the whole population. This study involves views of
therapist only so, in future researches patients’ rating can be included. Data was restricted to only adult patients
of anxiety disorder while the study can be replicated with patients having other psychiatric problems.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the psychiatry departments who gave me permission to collect data from their
hospitals. I am also grateful to the participants to be the part of this study.
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