Empathy, warmth, and genuineness in psychotherapy: A review of reviews.

Abstract

Several reviews of therapist variables in relation to therapy outcome appear to be biased and to underestimate the effects of empathy, warmth (or respect) and genuineness. These reviews are analyzed and evaluated, and reviewer biases are noted. In spite of the generally negative, or at best equivocal conclusions of these reviews, the evidence is actually supportive for the necessity, if not the sufficiency, of these therapist conditions. Considering the statistical factors militating against the obtaining of significant positive results, it is concluded that the evidence for the effectiveness of the therapist variables is far greater than is recognized by many reviewers. Research on empathy, warmth and genuineness, known as the core conditions of the counseling and psychotherapy relationship, is voluminous. It constitutes a body of research which is among the largest for any topic of similar size in the field of psychology. In the 1967 review of Truax & Carkhuff (1967), 439 references were listed. In the 1971 review of Truax & Mitchell (1971) there were 92 references. Most recent reviews contain many additional references. analyses of, and conclusions from their analyses of, the individual research studies. Consider the following points:

Benvingut Rogers a Espanya o de què tracta, realment, l'empatia

“…No obstant això, altres investigacions van obtindre resultats diferents que posaren en dubte la necessitat o suficiència de les condicions centrals, per a la producció del canvi psicoterapèutic (e.g., Bergin i Quinn, 1975;Mitchell, Bozarth i Krauft, 1977). En la dècada dels 80 la revisió realitzada per Patterson (1984) dels estudis anteriors, va permetre identificar diferents caires significatius. Quan es van controlar aquells caires (Stubbs i Bozarth, 1994), no s'obtingué cap dada que recolzara l'afirmació que les condicions centrals no foren suficients.…”

Les ingrédients magiques de la relation d’aide

“…On constatera que ces résultats nous ramènent aux fondements et techniques de base de l'approche humaniste et nous rappellent l'utilité et la force thérapeutique d'une écoute de qualité (Rogers, 1951). Qui plus est, nos résultats rejoignent ceux d'autres études concernant l'importance de l'empathie, du respect, de la chaleur et de l'authenticité de l'intervenante dans le contexte de la relation d'aide (Patterson, 1984). Dans un même ordre d'idées, l'étude de Kirkpatrick et al (1995) fait ressortir que des ingrédients tels que l'écoute, l'acceptation de la personne telle qu'elle est, la croyance dans le potentiel de l'individu et le fait de « prendre le temps », sont favorables au développement d'une relation qui sera porteuse d'espoir.…”

The therapeutic relationship in cognitive-behavioral therapy: Patient perceptions and therapist responses

“…Looking first to the "bottom line," the successful outcome of psychotherapy, we find strong consensus in the conclusion that the relationship is central to therapeutic change (Beitman et al, 1989;Lambert & Bergin, 1992;Safran, McMain, Crocker, & Murray, 1990). In an analysis of nine major review studies of relationship variables, Patterson (1984) concluded that the evidence in favor of the "necessity if not sufficiency" (p. 437) of positive relationship conditions was as strong as any in the field of psychology. The most recent and comprehensive review of the literature (Orlinsky, Grawe, & Parks, 1994) considered over 2,300 empirical studies and concluded that the most important determinant of outcome is the quality of patient participation in therapy.…”