Between sessions: How challenging and satisfying moments shape therapists’ inner worlds—A comparative interpretative phenomenological analysis study of novice and experienced therapists.

. In both cases, challenging and satisfying moments were meaningful; however, they differed in affective tone, being experienced as either emotionally heavy or emotionally sustaining. These findings offer therapists a framework to better understand their intersession processes and provide actionable insights for supervision and self-care. These insights may help professional resilience and prevent burning out among practitioners. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).