Observing therapeutic interaction in the “Lisa” case

Abstract

This is the third of a series of pilot studies that seeks to validate a method for the identification and analysis of clinically significant interactions in the psychotherapy process. Using a combined method, the authors demonstrate that the therapeutic cycles model (Mergenthaler, 1996) can be used reliably to identify clinically significant events across sessions, which can then be analyzed at the level of the therapist–client interaction using conversation analysis, a discipline that has generated a substantial body of knowledge of how meaningful interaction is achieved by speakers on a turn-by-turn basis. The authors demonstrate that significant events can be compared within and across cases in order to understand how therapist interventions contribute to within-session micro-outcomes and, ultimately, to outcomes across populations of cases.