Inte bara mellan fyra ögon. Den sociala omgivningens betydelse i samband med psykoterapi.

Sammanfattning: The aim of the present study is to deepen the understanding of how people, who undergo psychotherapy, perceive the importance of their social environment. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six individuals who have undergone psychotherapy within the last year. The transcripts were analyzed with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), which resulted in five main themes: Choose face outwardly, The price of openness, Being safe and close to someone, The therapist is not enough and Balance indebtedness. The results show large variation in what role the social environment plays for the participants. While some participants chose to be open about their therapy, others kept their therapy more or less secret. This in order to maintain independence and to avoid the risk of being hurt or of receiving negative responses. Although some participants experienced negative reactions, the participants perceived that they, in general, were met with interest and encouragement when sharing their experiences of psychotherapy with others. The results indicate that it is easier to be open, to show emotion and to receive support in close and safe relationships. The study further shows that individuals can experience their social environment as a unique and important resource for their development during psychotherapy.