It takes three to tango: clients’ experiences of couple therapy - A meta-analysis of qualitative research studies

Abstract

ABSTRACT The clients’ experiences of couple therapy, as gathered through open-ended qualitative questions, has historically been underrepresented within the field. However, recent years have found more studies inviting the perspectives of the clients. Such studies provide important contributions to the widening of the understanding of the various aspects of couple therapy. This study set out to synthesize, through the means of qualitative meta-analysis (QMA), findings across primary qualitative research studies on helpful, difficult but helpful and unhelpful aspects of couple therapy. A final sample of 21 qualitative studies was selected through a comprehensive search and rigorous appraisal. The meta-analysis yielded nine main meta-categories across three domains: four in the helpful aspects’ domain, for example “Clients’ Perception of Therapist as Effective in Establishing a Productive Therapeutic Relationship with Couple”; three in the unhelpful aspects’ domain, such as “Therapist Perceived as Lacking Abilities Required to Work with Clients Effectively”; and two in the difficult but helpful domain, such as “Therapist Perceived as Firm but Fair”. The present QMA allows a conceptualization of couple therapy through the lenses of clients and its details can thus inform the field of couple therapy.