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Person‐centred therapy with a client experiencing social anxiety difficulties: A hermeneutic single case efficacy design
Author(s) -
Stephen Susan,
Elliott Robert,
Macleod Rachel
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
counselling and psychotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.38
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1746-1405
pISSN - 1473-3145
DOI - 10.1080/14733145.2011.546203
Subject(s) - anxiety , psychology , single subject design , psychotherapist , social anxiety , skepticism , social psychology , clinical psychology , psychiatry , epistemology , philosophy
Background: Social anxiety is a chronic, debilitating psychological condition. Hermeneutic Single Case Efficacy Design (HSCED) is a legalistic mixed‐method case study method for evaluating therapy efficacy in single cases. Aims: Using a case of Person‐Centred Therapy (PCT) with a client experiencing social anxiety difficulties, we addressed the standard HSCED research questions of pre‐post client change, causal role of therapy, and change processes. In addition, we explored adaptations to HSCED for ambiguous outcomes. Method: Based on a rich case record, affirmative and sceptic cases were constructed and adjudicated by three judges. Results: The judges held that the client changed considerably (but not substantially) and that therapy contributed considerably to client change. Change processes central to PCT were held to be active, as were client resources. Implications: The new procedures enabled judges to make sense of the ambiguous outcome data and can be further extended and developed. PCT can bring about considerable change in socially anxious clients.