Ladmanová M, Řiháček T, Timulak L. Client-Identified Impacts of Helpful and Hindering Events in Psychotherapy: A Qualitative Meta-analysis.
Psychother Res 2021;
32:723-735. [PMID:
34806550 DOI:
10.1080/10503307.2021.2003885]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
Understanding the client perspective is important for the provision of psychotherapy. The significant events paradigm, within which clients report on the most significant events of a therapy session immediately after the session, represents a useful means to explore clients' in-session experience.
METHOD
The aim of this study was to investigate what types of client-identified impacts are reported in qualitative studies on helpful and hindering events in psychotherapy. Seventeen primary studies focusing on client-identified helpful and hindering events were identified through database searches and subsequent manual searches. The data were subjected to qualitative meta-analysis.
RESULTS
The descriptions of event impacts were classified into 12 helpful (e.g., gaining a new perspective on the self; feeling heard, understood, and accepted; and feeling engaged in the therapeutic process) and eight hindering (e.g., lacking guidance from the therapist and feeling emotionally overwhelmed) impact meta-categories.
CONCLUSION
The findings provide an update to a previous meta-analysis by identifying several new categories of helpful event impacts and by categorizing hindering event impacts.
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