QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF SOCIOTHERAPISTS’ SELF-NARRATIVES ABOUT THE PROBLEMS OF ADOLESCENT GROUP PARTICIPANTS AND THE PROGRESS OF SOCIOTHERAPY
Abstract
The aim of the research presented here was to examine, from the perspective of sociotherapists’
narratives, the primary issues encountered by group participants and how sociotherapists narrate
their interactions – whether they succeeded, failed, or resulted in little change despite the
intervention. We analyzed self-narratives from seventeen sociotherapists regarding their own
experiences in sociotherapeutic work. In the first step, we conducted an inductive content analysis
and categorized the problems of the group participants. In the second step, we determined the
type of self-narration (progressive, regressive, or stable) with the assistance of qualified assessors
using the deductive method of narrative analysis, with predefined categories. The analysis allowed
us to identify different ways of describing problems: nozological (symptomatic), psychological one
with explanatory power, attributional (relatively stable characteristics), and behavioral (focusing
on behavior). These problems were presented as being located within the individual, family, or
group. We described three trajectories of sociotherapy: progressive, in which interactions move
closer to the goal; regressive, in which interactions move away from the goal; and stable, in
which interactions have no effect. Comparing the portrayal of problems with the way problems
are narrated revealed that the use of psychological language in describing problems is associated
with the use of stable narratives, while it is less specific in the case of progressive and regressive
narratives. These initial findings are relevant to the diagnosis in sociotherapy.
