Slovenian clients' experiences in psychotherapy and psychotherapy outcome factors

Abstract

For decades, we have been wondering what it is in psychotherapy that works. Medical model assumes that psychotherapy outcomes are based on specific methods, while contextual model assumes that psychotherapeutic change is conditioned by common factors. In this article, in developing an understanding of the psychotherapeutic process and outcome, the importance of observing the client’s perspective and exploring the client’s experience is emphasized. The purpose of the article is to compare the empirically formed structure of the client experience with models of psychotherapeutic outcome factors. The research is based on content analysis of anonymous forum contributions from Slovenian clients and was carried out by coding and categorizing free unstructured descriptions of their experiences with psychotherapy. The results show that clients describe the therapist and the characteristics of psychotherapeutic treatment as the most important components of the psychotherapeutic process, and within these two the therapist's behaviour, quality and education, recommendations and psychotherapeutic outcome.