Personal Therapy for Future Therapists: Reflections on a Still Debated Issue

Abstract The issue of personal therapy in the training of counsellors and counselling psychologists has long been debated and is still being discussed. Although some people believe that trainees’ processing of personal issues helps increase their self-understanding, they do not consider it mandatory. Others argue that personal therapy is an integral part of training for future therapists revealing the characters and personalities of those who are fit or unfit to practice this profession. In most European countries a certain number of hours of personal therapy are mandatory to qualify for admission to the profession. In other countries, only certain training programs require it. What are the arguments for or against personal therapy in training? What does research indicate? What is meant by "personal development" and what by “personal therapy”? How is the necessary breadth and depth of "the work with oneself" which is contained in good educational training programs ensured? The present article reviews some of the relevant research in an effort to answer the questions raised and discuss the arguments developed.