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In recent qualitative studies, posttraumatic growth has been highlighted as a possible sign of change in how offenders relate to their basic existential needs. In this article, we present results of a pilot study with a mixed-method design on posttraumatic growth and psychological stress in a sample of sexual offenders ( n = 30) in ongoing therapy. We performed univariate analyses and subsequent hierarchical analyses, and the results affirmed our hypothesis that posttraumatic growth is negatively associated with psychological stress. We used phenomenological analysis to identify themes in the participants' reflections on posttraumatic growth. We found that prison experiences forced the participants to change. Prisoners experience emotional support from others during incarceration as crucial to positive change. Taking responsibility for the crime helped them engage in the therapy more fully and resulted in more posttraumatic growth.

Therapist authenticity is viewed as an important therapeutic process. The client's experiencing of the process and significance of therapist genuineness is, however, under-researched. In a case study (N = 6), the authors analyzed the clients' experiencing of the overall significance of therapist genuineness in their therapy. Both qualitative and quantitative data were gathered and analyzed using the technique of pattern matching. The authors found that clients also experienced processes other than genuineness as crucial therapeutic processes. Nevertheless, the results show that therapist genuineness can be a crucial therapeutic process. The findings imply that whether and how genuineness is crucial for change also depends on the individual client.

where he teaches person-centered and experiential-existential therapy at graduate and postgraduate students. He is particularly interested in posttraumatic growth, meaning, and other existential themes in therapy.

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