Special Topic: Psychology Of Experiencing: In The Memory Of Fyodor E. Vasilyuk

The paper reports the results of the phenomenological study of client experiences in the process of psychotherapy. It describes the stages of categorization, generalization, and interpretation of data. We raised the following questions: what changes happen to client experiences during the same treatment session and between sessions; and how these changes relate to the components of optimal experience. The sample consisted of 6 people aged 32-53, 5 women, and one man. One female client attended four meetings with a psychotherapist; the male and four female clients attended three meetings each. The transcripts were coded by two independent experts, followed by a joint discussion. First, unique semantic units were marked, then the statements were coded and categorized by experts. We give an account of the generalized dynamics of client experiences. The results of applying the categorical grid of the model of optimal experience to the dynamics of client experiences are presented separately. The yielded results can be interpreted as qualitative effectiveness markers of psychotherapeutic work.