Therapist Approaches to Disclosure and Associated Clinical Understandings of Therapist Pregnancy in Psychodynamic Therapy

Author

• Alanna Doherty, CUNY City CollegeFollow

Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Elliot Jurist

Keywords

disclosure, therapist pregnancy, psychodynamic, perspective of the therapist

Abstract

Background: Therapist pregnancy is both an intensely evocative force and an unavoidable disturbance in the therapeutic relationship, that leaves the therapist with novel clinical issues and decisions to attend to while also undergoing significant personal change and potential psychic strain. It is also a strikingly understudied clinical phenomenon. Accordingly, this study aims to investigate the process of disclosure of therapist pregnancy from the perspective of the therapist, to better understand how and why particular disclosure choices are made, and to examine disclosure as a site where personal needs and clinical decision-making intersect. Specifically, it builds upon the thematic categories identified in a recent meta-synthesis by Way et al. (2019) to examine the ways in which a) the pregnant therapist’s relationship to their new identity as parent and b) their anticipation of therapeutic challenges resulting from their pregnancy interact with c) their approach to the disclosure of their pregnancy to patients, and the subsequent dyadic processing of this disruption. It also considers d) the impact, if any, of supervisory advice on their approach to the disclosure process. Method: The study uses a semi-structured interview and grounded theory analysis to explore the experiences of therapists (N=10) who had a first pregnancy while engaged in in-person clinical practice. Interviews with therapists were conducted and their transcriptions analyzed so that dynamics around Way et al.’s thematic categories could be more deeply understood. Results: Four central thematic areas were identified: 1) limited thinking during pregnancy about how therapist identity would be impacted by parenthood; 2) feelings that characterize therapists’ experiences of disclosing their pregnancies and associated processes of disclosure; 3) impact of disclosure on treatment and clinical growth within the therapist; and 4) influences from outside the therapeutic dyad on pregnancy disclosure. While these themes were not mutually exclusive and did not arise in a linear manner across interviews, these overarching distinctions provide an organizational framework that allows for deeper understanding of how therapists navigate the complex clinical process of pregnancy disclosure. Conclusions: This in-depth investigation of the therapist’s experience of navigating pregnancy disclosure in a clinical context offers a framework for reflection to other clinicians seeking to better understand how specific factors come to bear on the therapeutic success of the disclosure process.

Recommended Citation

Doherty, Alanna, "Therapist Approaches to Disclosure and Associated Clinical Understandings of Therapist Pregnancy in Psychodynamic Therapy" (2026). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/1323