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Evaluation of Family Therapy: A Comparison of Therapists' and Clients' Views **
Author(s) -
Heilberg R. M.,
Firestone A. F.,
O'Connell B.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
australian journal of family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1467-8438
pISSN - 0156-8779
DOI - 10.1002/j.1467-8438.1982.tb00060.x
Subject(s) - family therapy , outcome (game theory) , quality (philosophy) , psychology , psychotherapist , clinical psychology , medicine , philosophy , mathematics , mathematical economics , epistemology
In this evaluation of therapy experience for 82 families by brief therapy at Bouverie Clinic to 1976–1977, therapists' and clients' rating of outcome were obtained. After termination of therapy both therapists and clients reported high improvement rates in the presenting problem(s) as well as in the quality of family relationships and in the family's ability to deal with further problems. High agreement was found between therapist’ and clients' ratings of outcomes. Therapists were more favorable than clients in their ratings of change in the presenting problem and in their ratings of change in the quality of family relationships, but not in assessing the change in family's further problem solving ability. At follow‐up clients were predominantly satisfied with their therapy experience. In addition, therapists' ability to predict outcome accurately, after the second of therapy, was strongly supported by our finding.