Interpersonal experience is the key factor for people to develop other-representation and to evaluate the environment. Most long-term psychotherapy clients’ issues stem from past negative experiences in interpersonal relationships. Individuals who have frequently experienced rejection during their growth process are susceptible to adopting the viewpoint that "the world is uncontrollable, and people are unpredictable and untrustworthy." Hence, the main purpose of this research is to explore the difference in other-representation, the transformation of self-concept during the long-term psychotherapy, and how counselors assist clients in changing their old pattern of other-representation and improving the self-concept. This is done to create new positive interpersonal relationship experiences.
This study used semi-structured interviews to collect data from 6 counselors who primarily conducted long-term psychotherapy for clients. Each psychologist was individually interviewed once. The contents of the interviews focused on changes of other-representation, self-concept, and the influences of long-term counseling relationships on clients’ development of new interpersonal relationship experiences. After data collection, the verbatim transcription of each interview was analyzed in a phenomenological approach. The study aims to obtain the effectiveness of long-term psychotherapy on the change of clients’ interpersonal relationship experience. The main findings of this study were as follows: (1) changes in other-representation; (2) changes in self-concept; (3) the factors that promote or interfere with the changes of clients. This study suggests that long-term psychotherapy can be conducive to creating positive other-representation and self-concept, and developing satisfying relationship patterns.