상담자의 내담자 선물에 대한 인식과 경험

초록

This study explored counselors’ perceptions and experiences of receiving gifts from clients in counseling settings. Specifically, it examined the criteria used to determine whether to accept gifts, the internal experiences that arise in the process of receiving them, and the impact of gifts on counseling. Data were collected from 60 counselors through open-ended survey responses and analyzed using Modified Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR-M). As a result, three domains, 23 categories, and four subcategories were derived. First, counselors reported a range of emotional and cognitive experiences in the process of receiving gifts, such as being moved, gratitude, embarrassed and internal conflict. Second, counselors determined whether to accept gifts by considering various factors, including the price and meaning of the gift, client characteristics, and the potential impact on the counseling relationship. Third, gifts were found to have both positive and negative influences, including strengthening the counseling relationship, evoking countertransference, and constraining the exploration of clients’ issues and therapeutic interventions due to discomfort and burden. On the basis of these findings, this study proposed considerations for counselors in responding to client gifts, as well as strategies for handling and intervening in such situations. The limitations of the study and suggestions for future research were also discussed.

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