Adolescents in psychotherapy: their representation of the therapeutic relationship/Adolescentes en psicoterapia: su representación de la relación terapéutica/Adolescentes em psicoterapia: uma representacao da relacao terapeutica

This study aims to describe the therapeutic relationship from the perspective of teenagers undergoing a psychotherapeutic process. It specifically describes the central aspects of the way adolescents represent their relationship with the therapist and it explores how that representation changes over the course of therapy. The methodological design is cross-sectional, descriptive and qualitative, using in depth interviews. Analysis is based on the grounded theory approach, with a deliberate sample of 8 Chilean adolescents between 14 and 17 years old, including both males and females, all of whom are currently undergoing a therapeutic process. Results show that these adolescents perceive the therapeutic relationship as a bond with a strong and positive affective component that produces psychic and physical relief. They also describe a transformation of this bond, from an initial reluctance towards a final phase of trust, and the perception that the therapeutic space is necessary.