Journal of Counseling Psychology · 1999 · 11 citations · 0 references
EducationCounselingPsychologyCounseling PsychologyCounseling Research MethodsCounseling TheoryCounseling Intervention PlanningCounseling InterventionsCounseling ProcessCounselor-client RelationshipConcept Map InterpretationCounselor BarriersSelf-disclosureSelf-disclosure In CounselingThematic CodingThematic Organization
The study aimed to clarify the scope and interrelations of clients’ retrospective experiences of helpfulness after completing counseling. Concept mapping, combining qualitative and quantitative methods, was used to examine what clients perceive as helpful. Participants identified five established clusters—Counselor Facilitative Interpersonal Style, Counselor Interventions, Generating Client Resources, New Perspectives, Client Self-Disclosure—and four new clusters—Emotional Relief, Gaining Knowledge, Accessibility, Client Resolutions—forming an integrative, pantheoretical counseling model.
The question of what clients experience as helpful in counseling was examined via concept mapping, a methodological approach combining qualitative and quantitative strategies. The purpose of the study was to clarify the scope and interrelations among elements of the retrospective experience of helpfulness among 36 clients who had completed counseling after an average of 11 sessions. Five thematic clusters consistent with previous research were identified: Counselor Facilitative Interpersonal Style, Counselor Interventions, Generating Client Resources, New Perspectives, and Client Self-Disclosure. Four new thematic clusters were also identified: Emotional Relief, Gaining Knowledge, Accessibility, and Client Resolutions. The structure of the concept map generated by the participants in this study was found to be consistent with an integrative, pantheoretical model of the counseling process.