Characteristics of the psychotherapeutic process and its relational aspects as understood by person-centered psychotherapists in Ukraine*

Personcentered psychotherapists in Ukraine have a nuanced appreciation for several core concepts of person-centered therapy. We carried out qualitative research which we hoped would also encourage discussion in Ukraine about the processes involved in individual psychotherapy. We asked 19 Ukrainian person-centered psychotherapists to read extracts from four published transcripts and discuss the characteristics of therapeutic practice that these examples depicted. Our findings highlighted specific concepts of person-centered therapy (for example, 'directivity', 'empathy', 'congruence') used by practicing Ukrainian psychotherapists when describing the protocols of these therapy sessions. Owing to the possibilities that qualitative research presents, we were able to investigate the essence of the psychotherapeutic processes as seen through the prism of Ukrainian person-centered therapists' experiences, worldview, and within their context.