The awe encounter: An analysis of awe's emergence in psychotherapy

This study explored how awe emerges in psychotherapy without being explicitly elicited and considers its functions within the therapeutic process. Using both a quantitative content analysis (QCA) and a constant comparison method (CCM), the research examined transcripts from a two-part interview to identify and categorize expressions of awe in the context of psychotherapy. The QCA provided frequency data on the emergence of established dimensions of awe in participant language. This analysis confirmed and explored awe’s natural emergence in impactful therapeutic moments without specific elicitation. Additionally, the CCM generated ten thematic categories pertaining to both the process of experiencing awe in psychotherapy and the related outcomes. These categories are overwhelm, perspective shifts, alterations of time, clarity, comfort and safety, altered self-concept, enhanced connectedness, newfound hope, inspiration and motivation, and acceptance. These results were further integrated into a cohesive framework describing how awe emerges and its functions within psychotherapy.