This article offers a testimony of my personal development in working with psychosis-prone
people: from an initially pathologising, intrapsychic perspective to a more interpersonal and
social perspective that focuses on shared humanity and responsibility. Through this testimony, I
reveal how stigmatisation is inevitable and perpetuates a destructive interpersonal dynamic that
lies at the heart of the psychotic process. Even with a client-centred education, which values
equality and unconditional acceptance, I am never completely free from social prejudice and the
tendency for experiential avoidance of psychotic experiences. These prejudices and avoidance
interfere with my therapeutic responsiveness and perpetuate the psychotic process. I hope that
a theoretical and self-reflective approach helps clients and psychotherapists experience more
autonomy and connection and break or slow down the psychotic spiral.
The tPeP (Journal Person-centered experiential Psychotherapy) is the scientific journal for Dutch and Flemish psychotherapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists, that work from, or are interested in a client-centered perspective.
