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Responding to self-criticism in psychotherapy

(2020) PSYCHOTHERAPY RESEARCH. 30(6). p.800-814
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Abstract
Objective: We explored the interactive process in which therapists respond to client self-critical positions. Methods: Drawing from the resources of conversation analysis (CA), we examined a corpus of in-session self-critical sequences of talk occurring in different kinds of treatments: Client Centered Therapy, (CCT), Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (PP) and in different cultural contexts. Results: It was found that client self-critical talk performed various functions pertaining to diminished control, accountability (e.g., failed obligations leading to self-blame) and disparaging evaluations of self (contempt or disgust). Further, therapists were found to respond in ways that targeted the client's report of having diminished control or of being accountable for their negative attributes by providing a more optimistic reading of the client's experience, one that is more open to positive outcomes and the possibility of change. Our sequential analysis not only shows how clients may resist these optimistic readings, but also how therapists work towards successfully achieving moments of re-affiliation. Conclusion: We anticipate that the fine-grained sequential analysis of therapy interaction can provide therapists with a more detailed understanding of the options and challenges therapists face when working with clinical challenges of clients' self-critical positions.
Keywords
Clinical Psychology, depression, alliance, emotion in therapy, affectual stance, affiliation, agency, accountability, conversation analysis, CENTERED RELATIONSHIP CONDITIONS, ALLIANCE, DEPENDENCY, THERAPIST, EMOTION, AFFILIATION, BEHAVIOR, STANCE

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MLA
Muntigl, Peter, et al. “Responding to Self-Criticism in Psychotherapy.” PSYCHOTHERAPY RESEARCH, vol. 30, no. 6, 2020, pp. 800–14, doi:10.1080/10503307.2019.1686191.
APA
Muntigl, P., Horvath, A. O., Bänninger-Huber, E., & Angus, L. (2020). Responding to self-criticism in psychotherapy. PSYCHOTHERAPY RESEARCH, 30(6), 800–814. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2019.1686191
Chicago author-date
Muntigl, Peter, Adam O. Horvath, Eva Bänninger-Huber, and Lynne Angus. 2020. “Responding to Self-Criticism in Psychotherapy.” PSYCHOTHERAPY RESEARCH 30 (6): 800–814. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2019.1686191.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Muntigl, Peter, Adam O. Horvath, Eva Bänninger-Huber, and Lynne Angus. 2020. “Responding to Self-Criticism in Psychotherapy.” PSYCHOTHERAPY RESEARCH 30 (6): 800–814. doi:10.1080/10503307.2019.1686191.
Vancouver
1.
Muntigl P, Horvath AO, Bänninger-Huber E, Angus L. Responding to self-criticism in psychotherapy. PSYCHOTHERAPY RESEARCH. 2020;30(6):800–14.
IEEE
[1]
P. Muntigl, A. O. Horvath, E. Bänninger-Huber, and L. Angus, “Responding to self-criticism in psychotherapy,” PSYCHOTHERAPY RESEARCH, vol. 30, no. 6, pp. 800–814, 2020.
@article{8643293,
  abstract     = {{Objective: We explored the interactive process in which therapists respond to client self-critical positions. Methods: Drawing from the resources of conversation analysis (CA), we examined a corpus of in-session self-critical sequences of talk occurring in different kinds of treatments: Client Centered Therapy, (CCT), Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (PP) and in different cultural contexts. Results: It was found that client self-critical talk performed various functions pertaining to diminished control, accountability (e.g., failed obligations leading to self-blame) and disparaging evaluations of self (contempt or disgust). Further, therapists were found to respond in ways that targeted the client's report of having diminished control or of being accountable for their negative attributes by providing a more optimistic reading of the client's experience, one that is more open to positive outcomes and the possibility of change. Our sequential analysis not only shows how clients may resist these optimistic readings, but also how therapists work towards successfully achieving moments of re-affiliation. Conclusion: We anticipate that the fine-grained sequential analysis of therapy interaction can provide therapists with a more detailed understanding of the options and challenges therapists face when working with clinical challenges of clients' self-critical positions.}},
  author       = {{Muntigl, Peter and Horvath, Adam O. and Bänninger-Huber, Eva and Angus, Lynne}},
  issn         = {{1050-3307}},
  journal      = {{PSYCHOTHERAPY RESEARCH}},
  keywords     = {{Clinical Psychology,depression,alliance,emotion in therapy,affectual stance,affiliation,agency,accountability,conversation analysis,CENTERED RELATIONSHIP CONDITIONS,ALLIANCE,DEPENDENCY,THERAPIST,EMOTION,AFFILIATION,BEHAVIOR,STANCE}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{800--814}},
  title        = {{Responding to self-criticism in psychotherapy}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2019.1686191}},
  volume       = {{30}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}

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