Client attributes and the eye of the beholder.

Abstract

This study deals with client attributes as related to outcome for 30 clients treated by 14 therapists. Eleven attributes that others have said were related to outcome were not so related in this study. Some attributes, however, were related to social class and to severity of impairment-neither of which was related to outcome. These findings, along with prior ones from the same investigation, suggest that outcome is affected by the attitudes and beliefs of therapists concerning prognosis for lower-class and severely disturbed clients: therapists who believe they can help such clients can often do so.

Reactions of mental health professionals to hypothetical clients: A comparison based on clients' adoptive status.

“…The results of this study suggest that mental health professionals on the whole probably do not respond very differently to their adopted adolescent clients than they do to their nonadopted adolescent clients. This finding, considered in concert with the growing body of research documenting the importance of stereotyping and therapist expectations in the processing of information about clients and the attributions made about them (Casas et al, 1983;Chapman & Chapman, 1969;Garfinkle & Morin, 1978;Lee & Temerlin, 1970;Lerner & Fiske, 1973;McCauley et al, 1980;Wampold et al, 1981;Williams, 1981) suggests that global stereotypes about adopted individuals do not exist, or that they are not strongly held by most mental health professionals, or that they do not affect the conceptualizing that is done about adopted clients. While some differences emerged, the probability levels were not sufficiently high as to suggest that these differences were particularly meaningful, especially since the same differences did not manifest themselves for both of the clients.…”

Mental Health Professionals’ Attitudes Toward Offenders With Mental Illness (Insanity Acquittees) in Ghana

“…Notably, staff negative attitudes, views, and perceptions can adversely affect the therapeutic process, which is sometimes construed as a learning process, and an avenue through which offenders can develop positive interpersonal or interactional skills needed to engage in treatment, experience positive treatment outcomes, and facilitate their integration into communities after discharge from the hospital (Lerner & Fiske, 1973; Wampold, 2001). Kozar and Day (2012) noted that there are strong theoretical and practice grounds for professionals to develop strong therapeutic alliance with offenders in general.…”

A Person-Centered Approach to Multicultural Counseling Competence

“…Furthermore, in addition to the work of Banks, Carkhuff, and colleagues (e.g., Redfering, 1975), Barbara Lerner published the well-known book Therapy in the Ghetto , as well as follow-up studies, on differential therapist attitudes in relation to outcome with low-income, African American clients (Lerner, 1972, 1973; Lerner & Fiske, 1973). A few years later, in a major review of psychotherapy with disadvantaged populations (a previous version of Stanley Sue’s pivotal chapter cited earlier [S.…”