Why do therapists work in prisons, and what is their lived experience of doing so?

Abstract

The aim of this study is to uncover the lived experience of psychotherapists and counsellors working in prisons and their motivations for doing so. A series of semi-structured interviews with three therapists who have worked in the English prison system were undertaken. An interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) method was chosen for this study as it facilitates an understanding of the meanings attributed by participants to their unique lived experience. The close analysis of each interview identified three group experiential themes: the draw to working with prisoners, the need to adapt, and the view of people who commit crimes. Participants felt a strong draw to the work before having any experience working within a prison setting, explicating a specific draw to the types of clients they would be working with. Working in a prison environment was found to be challenging but worthwhile, with a unanimous felt sense of empathy for the people they encountered. Participants believed lived experience to be significantly linked to offending, and their experience of working in prisons enhanced this view. The findings of this study highlight the challenges faced by both therapists and prisoners within prisons, implicating systematic changes which could improve the experience for both.