The concept of containment in relation to psychotherapist’s self-care

Psychotherapist’s profession brings challenges in many areas. One of them is emotional capacity and capability to be in touch with client’s suffering. The concept of containment is related to psychotherapist’s capacity to stay present and process at the same time demanding countertransferences. Psychotherapist deals within psychotherapeutic relationship with similar processes as mother with her child. She accepts and processes with respect and acknowledgement the child’s experiences, what helps the child to create capability of reflection, self-regulation and functional boundaries. On the contrary, containment that is not reflected can negatively influence psychotherapist’s capacity to be present and available during the session. The aim of this contribution is to describe the concept of containment in relation to psychotherapist’s self-care from the perspective of selected psychotherapeutic approaches.