How are clinical psychologists affected by a client’s ability to adapt to adversity (resilience)?

The current research project explored the research question: “How are Clinical Psychologists Affected by a Client’s Ability to Adapt to Adversity (Resilience)?” Little is known about the impact that clients have on clinical psychologists, and less is known regarding the positive impact that clients have on clinical psychologists. It has been suggested that a client’s resilience positively impacts clinicians. However, the area remains under explored. Thirteen clinical psychologists partook in this study. Semi-structured interviews explored their experiences with resilient clients. Grounded theory principles were applied to the collection and analysis of data. The results revealed four key themes: (1) Virtuous Action, (2) Psychologists’ Resilience, (3) Collaborative Crusade, and (4) Fortitude Spiral. Working with resilient clients resulted in outcomes that appear to help maintain a psychologist’s ability to continue with clinical work. These findings, the subthemes that comprise them, and recommendations for clinical practice and future research will be outlined in this paper.