Collaborative Writing in Psychotherapy: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACT Introduction This scoping review explores the therapeutic use of collaborative writing in psychotherapeutic settings, focusing on three key concepts: collaborative writing, collaboration and reflexivity. The review investigates therapist‐client positioning, modes of collaboration and reflexivity, methods for analysing co‐produced texts and strategies for sharing results and managing disagreements. Aim The aims are to explore how collaborative writing functions as a collaborative practice within therapeutic relationships, to identify specific modes of reflexivity, to highlight the methodological approaches used to interpret co‐produced texts and to examine how disagreement is recognised and managed within collaborative writing practices. Method The scoping review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a reflexive thematic analysis was conducted on the twelve papers that met the eligibility criteria. This method was specifically applied to articles that explicitly examined co‐writing between therapists and clients in psychotherapeutic contexts. Findings Overall, collaborative writing emerges as a promising relational and meaning‐making intervention in psychotherapy and mental health services. It fosters a relational and collaborative approach, reconfiguring the power dynamics between therapist and client to create a more equal, shared process of meaning‐making. Conclusion This literature review provides an initial overview of the work and encourages scholars to consider how the collaborative writing approach can be applied in psychotherapeutic settings in future studies. Therapists are required to have relational and dialogical skills to manage disagreements, build solid collaborations and engage in shared reflection with patients. Mental health services should support contexts that encourage experimentation with co‐writing and provide spaces for joint reflection, thereby reducing power dynamics and promoting greater patient participation.