Personality traits and readiness for change in psychotherapy: A qualitative study with young adult women

Abstract

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the relationship between personality traits and psychotherapeutic readiness in young adult women within the Indian context. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten participants (eight clients with recent psychotherapy experience and two practicing therapists). Data were analyzed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis, revealing that readiness is not a linear progression through discrete stages but a multidimensional, relational state shaped by personality architecture, family-of-origin dynamics, and the therapeutic alliance. Key findings include: (1) readiness is contingent on relational safety, with therapist warmth, self-disclosure, and humour facilitating engagement; (2) personality-specific barriers intellectualization, hyper-defensiveness, the freeze response, secondary gains, and the "self-aware trap"impede movement from contemplation to action; (3) the therapeutic alliance serves as both container and catalyst, with the 8-12 session mark emerging as a consistent turning point; (4) transformative moments arise from naming defenses, connecting developmental patterns, successful behavioral experiments, and recognizing loss inherent in change; and (5) family roles are directly re-enacted in therapy, with differentiation from enmeshed family systems emerging as necessary for sustained change. The study contributes novel concepts including the threshold model of readiness, the distinction between "won't change" and "can't change" clients, and the phenomenon of family as barrier post-change. Findings underscore the need for systemic awareness in individual treatment and have significant implications for clinical practice with young adult women.