Defining relational safety within therapeutic settings using the Delphi Method - Irish therapists' perspectives

The concepts of ‘relationship’, ‘relational depth’, ‘the therapeutic alliance’ and relational therapy are frequently cited in the literature relating to the professions of psychotherapy and counselling both in Ireland and internationally. Therapists and researchers generally agree on the significance of relational safety for positive therapeutic outcomes despite finding it challenging to articulate precisely what it is. Safety in psychotherapeutic relationships is thought to support progress, stimulate repair, promote healing, elicit emergence, and nurture ample exploration of client challenges. This innovative research aimed to provide a distinct definition of relational safety from the viewpoint of Irish psychotherapeutic professionals.
Before commencing the research, ethical approval was granted by the Research and Ethics Committee at the Technological University of Shannon (TUS). While not characteristically used in Irish psychotherapeutic research, the Delphi method, alongside reflexive thematic analysis, was utilised in this project. A panel of experienced and fully accredited relationship mentors and psychotherapists from various backgrounds and differing training programmes was convened, thus bringing a diversity of expressions to the research study. Using the Delphi method allowed the inclusion of the views and opinions of each participant and amplified their unique voices. This panel fully endorsed the definition, further validating its significance and impact, adding robustness to the study and instilling confidence in its use.
This research has delivered the first known documented definition of relational safety in therapeutic relationships from the perspective of an Irish therapist in Irish academic literature. A noteworthy step has been taken in bridging a gap in the existing literature by defining relational safety. Having a definition will help nurture an environment whereby therapists reflectively undertake greater responsibility for understanding clients' and recognising their varied needs.