Abstract
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 245-266 |
| Number of pages | 22 |
| Journal | European Journal of Psychotherapy & Counselling |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |
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Strategies used by experienced therapists to explore client goals in early sessions of psychotherapy. / Oddli, Hanne Weie; McLeod, John; Reichelt, Sissel; Rønnestad, Michael Helge.
In: European Journal of Psychotherapy & Counselling, Vol. 16, No. 3, 2014, p. 245-266.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Strategies used by experienced therapists to explore client goals in early sessions of psychotherapy
AU - Oddli, Hanne Weie
AU - McLeod, John
AU - Reichelt, Sissel
AU - Rønnestad, Michael Helge
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - The purpose of this study was to investigate the strategies used by highly experienced psychotherapists to explore client goals for psychotherapy during the first three sessions in treatments as usual. Transcripts from audio recordings of the initial three sessions of a sample of nine experienced therapists were analyzed using a modified constructivist grounded theory methodology. The transcripts revealed few therapist behaviors directed toward agreeing upon explicitly defined goals. Analysis of the data made it possible to identify two categories of goal-oriented activity: (1) ensuring that what happens in therapy is meaningful for the client and relevant to the attainment of the client’s goals; and (2) being aware of complexity – the client’s ambivalence and resistance to change. It is argued that the client–therapist dialogs examined in this study were characterized by processes regarding hope, motivation, and engagement rather than by explicit goal agreement. Implications for the concept of goal consensus and the working alliance are discussed.
AB - The purpose of this study was to investigate the strategies used by highly experienced psychotherapists to explore client goals for psychotherapy during the first three sessions in treatments as usual. Transcripts from audio recordings of the initial three sessions of a sample of nine experienced therapists were analyzed using a modified constructivist grounded theory methodology. The transcripts revealed few therapist behaviors directed toward agreeing upon explicitly defined goals. Analysis of the data made it possible to identify two categories of goal-oriented activity: (1) ensuring that what happens in therapy is meaningful for the client and relevant to the attainment of the client’s goals; and (2) being aware of complexity – the client’s ambivalence and resistance to change. It is argued that the client–therapist dialogs examined in this study were characterized by processes regarding hope, motivation, and engagement rather than by explicit goal agreement. Implications for the concept of goal consensus and the working alliance are discussed.
U2 - 10.1080/13642537.2014.927380
DO - 10.1080/13642537.2014.927380
M3 - Article
VL - 16
SP - 245
EP - 266
JO - European Journal of Psychotherapy and Counselling
JF - European Journal of Psychotherapy and Counselling
SN - 1364-2537
IS - 3
ER -