The Relationship Between Client Emotional Expressions, Therapist Interventions, and the Working Alliance: An Exploration of Eight Emotional Expression Events

The relationship between client emotional expression and therapist interventions was studied in two working alliance conditions. An events-focused methodology was used to examine a total of 8 events taken from a variety of therapeutic orientations. Results indicated that, in the presence of a good client–therapist relationship, therapists showed higher levels of empathy and effectively focused on the immediately expressed feelings; in turn, their clients were engaged in exploration of feelings. In poor-relationship dyads, clients expressed negative feelings toward the therapists. Interventions rated as effective by clinical judges were characterized by accurate therapist understanding of clients' emotional expressions and working with strains in the therapeutic relationship. Ineffective interventions were associated with inaccurate assessments of clients' emotional states. Intensive analysis of these sessions led to three distinct models of in-session emotional expression events. Theoretical and practical implications of these models will be discussed.     

Client process in short term dynamic psychotherapy1

In this study, a single case design was used to examine significant client events in a process of short-term dynamic psychotherapy. The Category System of Client Good Moments (Mahrer, 1988) was used as a measure of therapeutic process. Client speaking turns were rated for three sessions (early, middle, and late) of the complete sixteen session treatment conducted according to davanloo's (1978) model of short-term dynamic psychotherapy (STDP), and categories of good moments identified. The results showed that the salient client change-events were related to the client's (a) provision of significant information, (b) exploration of feelings, and (c) insight and understanding across the three sessions. Additionally, the results also showed a statistically significant increase in client-reported behavior change and sense of well-being for the late session. The results suggest that in-session report of behavior change is an important component of therapeutic process. The implications of these results for an atheoretical, data-driven understanding of therapeutic change processes are presented.     

Counsellor interpretations and the occurrence of in-session client change moments in non-dynamic psychotherapies

This study explored the relationship between therapist interpretations and optimal in-session client processes in 20 sessions conducted by exemplary psychotherapists of three different theoretical orientations: Client-Centred Therapy (CCT), Rational-Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT), and Gestalt/Existential Therapy (GT). The results indicated that interpretations were used with similar frequency across therapeutic approaches, but they were neither superior nor inferior to other interventions in relation to the occurrence of optimal in-session client processes. The results support the notion that interpretation is a commonly used therapist intervention and that different therapies accentuate different aspects of interpretation. Implications for psychotherapy integration are offered and the findings are discussed with reference to theory and clinical practice.     

An Investigation of Counselor Interpretations in Client-Centered Therapy

Preliminary findings by the McGill Psychotherapy Process Research Team indicate that not only are interpretations used in client-centered therapy, but they are also efficient in producing in-session client change. Using the Hill Counsellor Verbal Response Category System—Revised (Friedlander, 1982) as a guide to locate interpretations, we investigated the qualitative differences between interpretations leading to different in-session client change events in six sessions conducted by Carl Rogers. The occurrence of in-session therapeutic phenomena were assessed using the Experiencing Scale (Klein, Mathieu, Gendlin, & Keisler, 1970) and the Category System of Good Moments (Mahrer & Nadler, 1986). Results indicate that significant in-session therapeutic phenomena are preceded by interpretations and that qualitative differences exist between interpretations that precede change events and those that do not. Implications for psychotherapy theory, research, and practice are discussed.     

Research note: American children's time use in after-school activities

90 Grade 4 children from upstate New York completed a "what I usually do" questionnaire, reporting on their after-school activities. Contrary to the concerns of some psychologists, there was no evidence that the children were being "hurried" out of childhood or "hot-housed" to develop academic or other excellence. The children's time was largely spent in enjoyable, self-chosen, and nonacademic activities, most often play or television viewing.