Premium
THE CORE VARIABLES OF SYMBOLIC‐EXPERIENTIAL THERAPY: A QUALITATIVE STUDY
Author(s) -
Mitten Tammy J.,
Connell Gary M.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of marital and family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.868
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1752-0606
pISSN - 0194-472X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-0606.2004.tb01256.x
Subject(s) - experiential learning , operationalization , the symbolic , psychology , grounded theory , context (archaeology) , symbolic interactionism , interpersonal communication , set (abstract data type) , psychotherapist , qualitative research , social psychology , applied psychology , computer science , epistemology , sociology , pedagogy , social science , paleontology , philosophy , biology , programming language
Symbolic‐experiential therapists have been criticized for not adequately operationalizing symbolic theory and empirically validating their methods. Although pioneering researchers have noted that the task of studying and evaluating humanistic therapies is complex, we agree that all therapists need to eb held accountable for their intervantions. Int this article we identify the core variables underlying symbolic‐experiential therapy that emerged from a research study using grounded theory. The inductively derived conceptual framework for symbolic‐experiential therapy included: (a) Gegnerating an interpersonal set; (b) creating a syprasystem; (c) stimulating a symbolic context; (d) activating stress within the system; (e) creating symbolic experience; and (f) moving out of the system.