V1 An analysis of the dynamics that manifest in the consulting room
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An analysis of the dynamics that manifest in the consulting room when the therapist has a visible, physical disability in an oncology setting.
IRAS ID
364757
Contact name
Alessia Newman
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Essex
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, n/a
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 2 months, 22 days
Research summary
This research study entitled ‘An analysis of the dynamics that manifest in the consulting room when the therapist has a visible, physical disability in an oncology setting.’, will focus on examining the phenomenological transferential exchange that occurs within an oncology setting when the psychotherapist has a physical disability. I suggest that researching the dynamics in the transference from the perspective of a disabled psychotherapist will highlight how disability can be understood in the clinical exchange, and act as a vehicle for change when understanding the patient’s internal world. Traditional psychoanalytic theory and object relations theory can be applied to interpret the transferential experience between patient and psychotherapist, making reference to the body-self relationship each individual in the room occupies. However, minimal work has been done to explore the phenomenological connection between the physically disabled therapist and the internal world of the oncology patient. Translating what my physical disability means in the body-self transference, can allow patients to find unconscious meaning, and understand their own body, which is often symbolised through the way in which they relate to the body of the disabled psychotherapist. The phenomenon of the disabled therapist representing a symbol of the patient’s body-self relationship is something I have observed to manifest in what I shall refer to as the body-self transference and is something I aspire to explore further in this research study.
The study will entail the analysis of past, anonymised therapy notes I [Psychotherapist and Chief Investigator] took as part of the normal therapy process from the start of the psychotherapeutic work and up to 2 months ago. This will require informed consent from up to 4 patients that I have offered psychotherapy to within the Buckinghamshire Cancer Psychology Service. Participating in the study doesn't involve anything else for the patient.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/EM/0029
Date of REC Opinion
27 Apr 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion