Verbal behavior in transcripts of psychotherapy was coded according to Stile's taxonomy of verbal response modes. Therapists of different theoretical persuasions used different mixtures of verbal techniques. Common elements that make verbal interaction psychologically therapeutic lie in client behavior. (Author)

Compared specific verbal response mode (VRM) indices with the more global Experiencing (EXP) Scale. Stile's VRM taxonomy was used to code transcribed interviews published in the EXP manual. The strongest VRM correlate of EXP level was the percentage of utterances that were disclosure in form and intent. (Author)

Two independent dimensions emerged as underlying participants' ratings of psychotherapy sessions, a depth/value dimension, and a smoothness/ease dimension. Clients and therapists showed moderately high agreement in how they described sessions on these two dimensions, indicating that both reacted in part to objectively observable features of the…

Compared participants' verbal response modes (VRM) in exploratory and prescriptive psychotherapies. Each client received eight sessions of each treatment with same therapist throughout. Therapist and client utterances were coded for each of 39 clients. Found large therapist VRM differences between treatments, consistent with theoretically…