DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS OF MORE RESOLVED VERSUS LESS RESOLVED COUNTERTRANSFERENCE SELF-DISCLOSURES ON RATINGS OF THE PSYCHOTHERAPIST AND SESSION
Open Access
Author:
Yeh, Yun-Jy
Graduate Program:
Counseling Psychology
Degree:
Doctor of Philosophy
Document Type:
Dissertation
Date of Defense:
August 24, 2009
Committee Members:
Jeffrey Hayes, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor Jeffrey Hayes, Committee Chair/Co-Chair Joyce Karen Illfelder Kaye, Committee Member Hoi Kin Suen, Committee Member Louis Georges Castonguay, Committee Member
This study sought to examine the content of therapist self-disclosure by focusing on investigating the differential effects of therapist disclosure of resolved versus unresolved countertransference issues on perceptions of therapists and therapy process. Using an analogue methodology, participants (N = 116) were randomly assigned to watch 1 of 2 videos through a secured on-line website in which a therapist made self-disclosure of resolved or unresolved personal issues. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to detect the differences between the two conditions. As hypothesized, therapist self-disclosure of relatively more resolved countertransference issues were rated significantly higher on the dimensions of the attractiveness of the therapist, the trustworthiness of the therapist, and the feelings of hope in the client than therapist self-disclosure of less resolved countertransference issues. No significant differences, however, were found between therapist self-disclosure of resolved versus unresolved personal issues on the expertness of the therapist, the depth of the session, the smoothness of the session, and how the client’s likely feelings of universality was viewed. Limitations of this study and the implications of these results for research, and clinical application were discussed.
