More than meets the eye: a consideration of the influence of a counsellor's visual impairment upon his therapeutic relationships

Other than through personal reflection and anecdotal evidence, I have had little opportunity to explore the influence of my visual impairment upon my therapeutic relationships. In order to address this, I conducted three research conversations with former clients (participants), each of whom had expressed an interest in participating in the research. Potential participants also had to meet the inclusion criteria for the research and provide informed consent prior to their participation. Research conversations were conducted between March and July 2009 and were analysed qualitatively, using a method informed by Moustakas's heuristic inquiry. Participants demonstrated idiosyncratic responses to my visual impairment; their perception of their responses to my visual impairment sometimes differed from mine. Feelings identified included uncertainty, disappointment and relief. My visual impairment appeared to influence the therapeutic relationship in a variety of ways, including resonance with the inner world significance of disability to the participant and interaction with my personal process. While not the therapeutic agent, my visual impairment had the potential to act as a catalyst in therapeutic change. The potential for me to either under-estimate or over-estimate the significance of my visual impairment highlights the need for continued self-awareness and the maintenance of an open and non-defensive attitude.