Therapists' and clients' significant experiences underlying psychotherapy discourse

Abstract

This article complements the narrative research that focuses on the process and content of what is said in psychotherapy by examining clients' and therapists' significant experiences beneath the in-session discourse. Toward this end, the authors recorded one midtherapy session from each of four dyads, and the therapist and client from each dyad were then interviewed using an interpersonal process recall method. Participants were asked what they experienced as significant during the session and to describe their rationale for that selection. Descriptions of these experiences were organized into categories using an inductive method. An analysis of therapist- and client-originated categories was conducted to elucidate the often unspoken concerns of participants. The range of internal experiences that underlie narration in psychotherapy is explicated.

A Phenomenological Inquiry of Clients’ Meaningful Experiences in Counseling With Counselors‐in‐Training

“…Eliciting client experiences and using them both in counseling and in counselor training are imperative. Clients in Levitt and Piazza‐Bonin's (2011) study reported feeling hesitant to communicate with their counselor for fear of offending the counselor, feeling judged, or being wrong. Therefore, Levitt and Piazza‐Bonin recommended that counselors create a therapeutic environment in which clients will feel comfortable broaching difficult topics and give clients clear direction to talk with the counselor anytime something feels uncomfortable or amiss in either the counseling or the relationship.…”

“…The client's perspective, which is essential to understanding the counseling process (De Stefano, Mann‐Feder, & Gazzola, 2010), is still often overlooked (Oliveira et al, 2012 Traditionally, researchers have examined the process from the counselor's perspective, but more recently they have taken the client's perspective into account, enriching counseling professionals’ understanding (Paulson, Truscott, & Stuart, 1999; Sackett, Lawson, & Burge, 2012). However, Levitt and Piazza‐Bonin (2011) asserted that studying participants’ internal experiences in counseling remains largely unexplored. In accessing client experiences, researchers have called for qualitative (Levitt, Butler, & Hill, 2006) and specifically phenomenological studies to further understanding of the process (Oliveira et al, 2012 Singer (2005) posited that qualitative research methods expand understanding through asking people for their perspectives of a phenomenon.…”

Mindfulness‐based Narrative Therapy for Depression in Cancer Patients

“…However, the influence of narrative perspectives on practice and research in psychotherapy is growing (Gonçalves & Stiles, ; Meisel & Karlawish, ). Recent publications in this area include our clinical studies on the use of NT for the treatment of depression in cancer patients (see the succeeding texts), a clinical trial examining the utility of NT for the treatment of depressive disorders in adults (Vromans, ; Vromans & Schweitzer, ), a randomized clinical trial on the effect of NT on pain perception in cancer patients (Cepeda, Chapman, & Miranda, ) and other relevant, recently published empirical research (Gonçalves & Stiles, ; Goncalves et al, ; Levitt & Piazza‐Bonin, ; Osatuke et al, ; Ribeiro et al, ; Vromans & Schweitzer, ; Zweig, Angus, Monette, Hollis‐Walker, & Warwar, ).…”

Intensifying attachment-related sadness and decreasing anger intensity among individuals suffering from unresolved anger: The role of relational reframe followed by empty-chair interventions

“…The IPR has been used in a number of studies on psychotherapy process examining a range of questions (Frankel & Levitt, 2009;Levitt & Piazza-Bonin, 2011;Rice & Greenberg, 1984;Timulák & Lietaer, 2001). In its more structured form, participants are asked to respond to rating scales measuring the constructs of interest (Wiseman & Rice, 1989).…”