This theory-building case study examined an application of the Assimilation of Grief Experiences Scale (AGES), a conceptual account of a bereaved person's process of change in grief recovery, in a case study of a 40-year old woman in bereavement counselling. An assessment session and 44 counselling sessions were analysed intensively, comparing the…

Evidence suggests that a moderate amount of variance in patient outcomes is attributable to therapist differences. However, explained variance estimates vary widely, perhaps because some therapists achieve greater success with certain kinds of patients. This study assessed the amount of variance in across-session change in symptom intensity scores…

Replicating a previous study (M. Barkham et al., 2006), the authors examined rates of improvement in psychotherapy in United Kingdom primary care settings as a function of the number of sessions attended. Included in the study were adult clients who returned valid assessments at the beginning and the end of their treatment, had planned endings,…

Qualitative analyses of 2 clients' psychotherapies (client centered and process-experiential) investigated the developmental progression from formulating a problem to achieving an understanding of it. The results elaborated one segment in the 8-stage Assimilation of Problematic Experiences Sequence (APES), through which problematic parts of a…

Evidence suggests that a moderate amount of variance in patient outcomes is attributable to therapist differences. However, explained variance estimates vary widely, perhaps because some therapists achieve greater success with certain kinds of patients. This study assessed the amount of variance in across-session change in symptom intensity…

A therapy event where the client expressed anger through the technique of "staying with feelings" is analyzed intensively. The client's perspective and observer ratings are reported. Experiential and interpersonal rationales for staying with feelings are compared with data describing change processes; a possible mechanism of change is identified.…

Drug metaphor suggests that administering relatively high level of process component that is part of successful psychotherapy should yield relatively positive outcome, and levels of process and outcome should be correlated. Compared 5 verbal process components with rate of change in 3 symptom intensity measures across treatment of 39 psychotherapy…

This study examined rates of improvement in psychotherapy as a function of the number of sessions attended. The clients (N = 1,868; 73.1% female; 92.4% White; average age = 40), who were seen for a variety of problems in routine primary care mental health practices, attended 1 to 12 sessions, had planned endings, and completed the Clinical…

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)

Forty clients received eight psychodynamic treatment (exploratory) sessions and eight cognitive/behavioral treatment (prescriptive) sessions in crossover design. Counselors and external raters rated exploratory sessions as deeper and more powerful; counselors, external raters, and clients rated prescriptive sessions as smoother and easier.…

Responds to critiques of Stiles and Shapiro's (1994) discussion of process-outcome correlation problem by Silberschatz (1994) and Sechrest (1994). Contends that, contrary to Silberschatz's and Sechrest's multivariate suggestions, problem is not in measures or analyses but in interpretation of results, particularly in failure to incorporate fully…

Presents a marker-based method for tracking the assimilation of a previously outcast voice into the self, conceived as a community of voices. Using a qualitative assimilation analysis of a sample case, tracks two major themes, excerpts 43 passages, and rates each passage on the Assimilation of Problematic Experiences Scale (APES). APES ratings…

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)

The authors attempted to replicate and extend D. M. Kivlighan and P. Shaughnessy's (2000) findings of (a) 3 distinctive patterns of alliance development across sessions and (b) a differential association of one of these, a U-shaped quadratic growth pattern, with positive treatment outcome. In data drawn from a clinical trial of brief…

This article reports the development of a marker-based method for rating assimilation in psychotherapy with a case study of a woman, Sarah, who was treated for depression with process-experiential psychotherapy. To increase the rigor of the qualitative case study methodology, independent judges rated passages--taken out of context and randomly…