Clients' Preferences for Their Therapists' Relational Styles in Psychotherapy: A Consensual Qualitative Research Study

IF 1.2 Q3 PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL

Counselling & Psychotherapy Research Pub Date : 2025-01-24 DOI:10.1002/capr.12887

Gina Di Malta, Mick Cooper, Hanne Oddli, Joshua K. Swift, Sarah Knox

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Abstract

Background

Accommodating clients' preferences is a cornerstone of evidence-based practice. However, little is known of clients' preferences for their therapists' relational styles.

Methods

We conducted a secondary analysis focused on identifying clients' preferences for their therapists' relational styles, using original data from Cooper et al.'s (2023) consensual qualitative research (CQR) study. Initial data collection involved conducting semi-structured interviews with a cohort of 13 clients who had completed up to 24 sessions of pluralistic psychotherapy. Of these participants, 10 identified as female and three identified as male.

Findings

Four themes and six sub-themes emerged: (1) Clients preferred their therapist to be active/not passively disengaged and to provide input, challenge and guidance (n = 10); (2) Clients preferred their therapist to display relatedness, warmth and validation (n = 8); (3) Clients preferred some flexibility, attunement and for their therapist to adapt the therapy to their unique needs (n = 5); (4) Clients preferred to be listened to, having a space to talk and to explore (n = 4).

Implications for Practice

The themes offer insights that can serve as a foundational framework for future research and contribute to the development of training programmes tailored to enhance counselling psychologists' preference work and relational styles.

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来源期刊

Counselling & Psychotherapy Research PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL-

CiteScore

4.40

自引率

12.50%

发文量

期刊介绍： Counselling and Psychotherapy Research is an innovative international peer-reviewed journal dedicated to linking research with practice. Pluralist in orientation, the journal recognises the value of qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods strategies of inquiry and aims to promote high-quality, ethical research that informs and develops counselling and psychotherapy practice. CPR is a journal of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, promoting reflexive research strongly linked to practice. The journal has its own website: www.cprjournal.com. The aim of this site is to further develop links between counselling and psychotherapy research and practice by offering accessible information about both the specific contents of each issue of CPR, as well as wider developments in counselling and psychotherapy research. The aims are to ensure that research remains relevant to practice, and for practice to continue to inform research development.