VERBAL RESPONSE-MODE USE BY CLIENTS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY

Coded client and therapist verbal behavior in 10 diverse transcripts of psychotherapy according to W. B. Stiles's (1978) taxonomy of verbal response modes. As found in previous research, therapists of different theoretical persuasions used very different mixtures of verbal techniques. However, clients had similar mode profiles despite the differences in therapist mode use. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the common elements that make verbal interaction psychologically therapeutic lie in the behavior of the client rather than the behavior of the therapist. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1979 American Psychological Association.