Developing Adaptive Change Capabilities Through Client-Centred Therapy

Abstract

Clients undergo change as a function of engaging in a therapeutic experience. To date, little research into the residual effects of therapy have been completed using client-centred therapy. Some therapies provide didactic experiences to gain and practise skills and understandings so they can be recalled after the conclusion of therapy. Other therapies preclude such interventions and instead emphasise the insights of the client and the transformative therapeutic alliance to facilitate change. This research is an investigation of the possibility that client-centred therapy provides clients with experiences to allow insight into, and understanding of processes to optimally facilitate change through therapy. The aims of the research were to establish: whether factors known to enhance change in therapy increased for clients from the beginning to the end of therapy; whether the clinical group (n = 28; intervention) scores differed from a nonclinical group at both time points (n = 22; control); and establish whether gender differences were present. Analyses showed that nonclinical respondents’ scores at Times 1 and 2 were consistently higher on all factors compared with clinical respondents. The findings indicated that scores did not vary significantly between Time 1 and 2 for either the clinical or the nonclinical groups of respondents. The state/trait-like characteristics of the factors are discussed in reference to their application in therapeutic and applied settings.

Learning and change within person‐centred therapy: Views of expert therapists

“…Several participants considered that ‘unless the underlying work on conditions of worth have been done, strategies to cope will not endure’ (H77). Bowles () suggests that it has not been established whether client‐centred therapy provides clients with the knowledge and skills to deal with the recurrence of problems post‐therapy, although others have considered this to be an important therapeutic outcome (Burnett & Van Dorssen, ). This warrants further investigation in PCT.…”

Motivation to the Past, Present, and Future: Time Orientation and Disorientation before Therapy

“…Despite this, the main points for therapy is that a “balanced” profile comprised of middle‐ranging to elevated scores appears the healthiest profile of orientations as suggested by Zimbardo and Boyd () and Mello and Worrell () and may be a therapeutic aim, for the end of therapy. Second, building thematic continuity with the content, order, and meaning of the past, into the present and to the future provides a vehicle for motivated understanding planning and action (Bowles, ; Stolarski et al, ; Zimbardo & Boyd, ). This focus on immediate and future action and outcome may, be the most appropriate focus for some problems particularly in the beginning and mid‐points of therapy, as suggested from the research into problem drinkers and the benefit of a future orientation (Cole et al, ).…”

“…This focus on immediate and future action and outcome may, be the most appropriate focus for some problems particularly in the beginning and mid‐points of therapy, as suggested from the research into problem drinkers and the benefit of a future orientation (Cole et al, ). Third, the focus on content to build continuity can be informed by the valence of emotions and individual emotions associated with content in the past and present, and their meaning and relevance for the present and future further fostering self‐regulation, planned action, and motivation (Bowles, ; Lasane & O'Donnell, ; Peetsma, ; Peetsma et al, ) toward wellbeing (Boniwell & Zimbardo, ; Rappaport et al, ).…”

If ego identity is the envelope then adaptive change is the note to self: scaffolding the career choices of adolescents

“…[Insert Figure 1.] The ACM consists of five stages of change including Openness to Opportunity, Visualization, Planning, Action, and Closure that can be used by career counsellors to assist students to understand the process towards career commitment (Bowles, 2006(Bowles, , 2010(Bowles, , 2012Bowles & Hattie, 2013). The factors or stages of the adaptive change model provide a useful method for prompting adolescents to remain open to career opportunities (Openness to Opportunity factor), to visualise prospective occupations (Visualization factor), and experiment with ideas about career options.…”

“…The Action stage is characterised by the individual implementing the plan conceptualised in the previous stage and proceeding from a growing commitment shown through actions focused on the future such as selection of subject preferences in mind (Bowles, 2006(Bowles, , 2012. It is important that the action stage is informed by these previous stages as without this deliberation to underpin and sort possibilities before this action orientated stage, the act of action taking may be impulsive, illinformed, poorly planned, and problematic.…”