A client-based description of family therapy.

Client Perceptions of Couples Therapy: Helpful and Unhelpful Aspects

“…This study, as others, hints at the prominence of therapeutic relationship (Bachelor, 1988;Bischoff & McBride, 1996;Kuehl et al, 1990;Elliott & James, 1989;Lietaer, 1992;Llewelyn et al, 1988;Sells et al, 1996). Indeed, aspects of the therapeutic relationship (i.e., trustworthiness of the therapist, genuine interest, caring, safety in the session, nonimposition, and so on) may cross all approaches to therapy, and as research suggests, may be more fundamental to successful therapy than the approach used (Coady, 1999).…”

“…For example, activities and qualities of the therapist that enhance a trusting therapeutic atmosphere are associated with positive therapy experiences for some clients (Bachelor, 1988;Bischoff & McBride, 1996;Elliott & James, 1989;Kuehl et al, 1990;Lietaer, 1992;Llewelyn et al, 1988;Sells et al, 1996). For all participants in this study, aspects of therapy described under the theme "Trust in the Therapist" helped establish an atmosphere in which clients were encouraged to feel free and open to comment on things.…”

“…Kuehl et al (1990) found, for example, that family therapy clients tended to experience therapy as satisfying if their therapist seemed caring, even if he or she was unable to generate suggestions to resolve their problems. Helpful aspects associated with therapist attitudes of empathy and acceptance were also identified in studies by Bachelor (1988), Lietaer (1992), and Bischoff and McBride (1996) and a review of the literature on client experiences of therapy by Elliott and James (1989).…”

“…Literature Review A literature review on client perceptions of therapy revealed that studies have focused on: client views of their therapists and the therapeutic relationship (Bachelor, 1988;Golden & Robbins, 1990;Kuehl, Newfield, & Joanning, 1990;Rennie, 1992;Wark, 1994); children's perspectives on their family therapy experiences (Bischoff & McBride, 1996;Stith, Rosen, McCollum, Coleman, & Herman, 1996); comparisons of client and therapist perceptions of therapy (e.g., Bennun, Hahlweg, Schindler, & Langlotz, 1986); comparisons of the effectiveness of different approaches to treatment (Bennun et al, 1986;Parry, Shapiro, & Firth, 1986); clients' views of their treatment at various points during the therapy process (Conran & Love, 1993;Gale, Odell, & Nagireddy, 1995;Lietaer, 1992;Roberts, 1993;Shilts & Knapik-Esposito, 1993); client perspectives on the use of reflecting teams (Sells, Smith, Coe, & Yoshioka, & Robbins 1994;Smith, Sells, & Clevenger, 1994); "significant events" within a given therapy session (e.g., Elliott & Shapiro, 1992), and "effective moments" throughout the course of therapy (Sells, Smith, & Moon, 1996).…”

From Every Direction: Guilt, Shame, and Blame Among Parents of Adolescents with Co-occurring Challenges

“…Fox (2012) suggests that clinician and parental stigma regarding the root cause of children's mental health challenges shape the dynamics of the parentclinician relationship. Parents' perceptions of blame by providers has also been associated with disruption/termination of treatment episodes (Wolpert 2000;Kuehl et al 1990, Mason et al 1995. Finally, research by Sheridan et al (2010) into parental perceptions of treatment identified that therapist who exhibit non-judgmental, nonblaming qualities improve the comfort that parents experience with the therapeutic process.…”