Understanding the client's perspective of helpful and hindering events in psychotherapy sessions: A micro-process approach.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to bridge the methodologies of significant events and micro-process research to gain a better understanding of clients' perceptions of helpful and hindering events in psychotherapy. A total of 16 clients were asked to review a recent psychotherapy session and, while watching, complete a moment-by-moment rating of helpful/hindrance using a dial rating system. They were also asked to describe the most helpful and hindering segments that were rated as such. The moment-by-moment ratings suggest that clients perceive a significant amount of variability within a single session. The qualitative results suggest that clients perceive both specific treatment and common factors techniques as being helpful. Further, some of the same therapist actions were rated as both helpful and hindering, but they differed in the timing and the client's experience of feeling heard and understood versus judged or given advice that was not perceived as relevant to them. These results have important implications for clinical practice.