Shirley A. Hess

Consensual Qualitative Research: An Update

The authors reviewed the application of consensual qualitative research (CQR) in 27 studies published since the methods introduction to the field in 1997 by C. E. Hill, B. J. Thompson, and E. N. Williams (1997). After first describing the core components and the philosophical underpinnings of CQR, the authors examined how it has been applied in terms of the consensus process, biases, research teams, data collection, data analysis, and writing up the results and discussion sections of articles. On the basis of problems that have arisen in each of these areas, the authors made recommendations for modifications of the method. The authors concluded that CQR is a viable qualitative method and suggest several ideas for research on the method itself.

A Qualitative Analysis of Client Perceptions of the Effects of Helpful Therapist Self-Disclosure in Long-Term Therapy

Thirteen adult psychotherapy clients currently in long-term therapy were interviewed twice, with semistructured protocols, about their experiences with helpful instances of therapist self-disclosure. Data were analyzed with a qualitative methodology. Results indicated that helpful therapist self-disclosures (a) occurred when these clients were discussing important personal issues, (b) were perceived as being intended by therapists to normalize or reassure the clients, and (c) consisted of a disclosure of personal nonimmediate information about the therapists. The therapist self-disclosures resulted in positive consequences for these clients that included insight or a new perspective from which to make changes, an improved or more equalized therapeutic relationship, normalization, and reassurance. Implications for psychotherapy are discussed.

Perceptions of Serendipity: Career Paths of Prominent Academic Women in Counseling Psychology.

Consensual qualitative research was used to investigate the impact of chance events on the career choices of prominent academic women in counseling psychology and to examine the contextual factors surrounding the chance events. The results suggest that chance events affected career choices most often by changing womens career paths altogether or by altering their self-concepts. The results also suggest that both internal characteristics (e.g., ability to take risks, self-confidence, etc.) and external factors (e.g., a strong support system, few external barriers, etc.) helped women take advantage of chance opportunities. The implications of integrating the concept of serendipity into our existing understanding of career development is discussed.

Predoctoral interns’ nondisclosure in supervision

Abstract In interviews with 14 counseling center predoctoral interns regarding a significant nondisclosure in supervision, eight interns reported good supervisory relationships and six indicated that they experienced problematic supervisory relationships. Nondisclosures for the interns in good supervisory relationships related to personal reactions to clients, whereas nondisclosures for interns in problematic supervisory relationships related to global dissatisfaction with the supervisory relationship. In both groups, interns mentioned concerns about evaluation and negative feelings as typical reasons for nondisclosure. Additional reasons for nondisclosure for interns in problematic supervision were power dynamics, inhibiting demographic or cultural variables, and the supervisors theoretical orientation. Both groups described negative effects of nondisclosure on themselves and their relationships with clients. Interns in problematic supervision also reported that nondisclosures had negative effects on the supervisory relationship.

Structured brief therapy with a focus on dreams or loss for clients with troubling dreams and recent loss

The authors tested whether a focus on dreams added something specific to the therapy process beyond the structure of a 3-stage approach. Fourteen distressed clients with troubling dreams and recent loss of a loved one participated in brief structured therapy focused on dreams or loss. After therapy, clients in both conditions reported being satisfied with therapy, having lowered impact of the loss, gaining new insights about themselves, and having made changes. In addition, clients in the dream condition rated the process of therapy higher, became involved in the therapeutic process more quickly, gained more understanding of their dreams, liked the structure of therapy more, and kept fewer secrets from their therapists than clients in the loss condition. In contrast, clients in the loss condition gained more insight about the effects of the past and their loss and liked therapist guidance more than clients in the dream condition.

Clients' perspectives on therapy termination

Abstract We used consensual qualitative research to analyze interviews with 12 clients about their termination from psychotherapy. Those who had positive termination experiences reported a strong therapeutic relationship and positive outcomes of therapy. They terminated primarily for logistical or financial reasons; their termination, post-termination plans, and feelings about termination were discussed in advance with their therapist, as was their growth in therapy, leading to mostly positive effects of the termination. In contrast, those who had problematic terminations reported a mixed therapeutic relationship and mixed outcomes of therapy. They usually terminated abruptly because of a therapeutic rupture, and thus termination was rarely planned and discussed in advance, rendering it a negative experience. Implications of these findings are addressed.

Supervisor Self-disclosure: Supervisees' Experiences and Perspectives

Twelve graduate-level supervisees were interviewed regarding their experiences of supervisor self-disclosure (SRSD); data were analyzed using consensual qualitative research. When describing a specific SRSD experience, supervisees reported a range of antecedents (e.g., difficult clinical situation, self-doubt, tension in supervision relationship) followed by supervisor disclosures about clinical experiences or personal information. Supervisees perceived that their supervisors disclosed primarily to normalize, but also to build rapport and to instruct. The SRSDs had mostly positive effects (e.g., normalization), though some negative effects (e.g., deleterious impact on supervision relationship) were reported. Implications of these findings for supervision, training, and research are addressed.

Performance of a position sensitive Si(Li) x-ray detector dedicated to Compton polarimetry of stored and trapped highly-charged ions

We report on a novel two-dimensional position sensitive Si(Li) detector dedicated to Compton polarimetry of x-ray radiation arising from highly-charged ions. The performance of the detector system was evaluated in ion-atom collision experiments at the ESR storage ringe at GSI, Darmstadt. Based on the data obtained, the polarimeter efficiency is estimated in this work.

Case studies of the attainment of insight in dream sessions: replication and extension

Abstract To replicate and extend the Hill, Knox, et al. (2007) case study of a client who attained insight in one session of dream work, the authors examined two additional single-session cases: one in which a client gained insight and another in which a client did not. The observations across all three cases suggest that the two clients who acquired insight had positive attitudes toward dreams; were motivated and involved in session; and were nonresistant, trusting, and affectively present but not overwhelmed. The client who did not gain insight questioned the value of dreams and was resistant, untrusting, and emotionally overwhelmed. Therapist adherence and competence using the dream model, ability to manage countertransference, and effective use of probes for insight distinguished the therapists whose clients gained insight from the therapist whose client did not.

The Attainment of Insight in the Hill Dream Model: A Case Study.

Source ISSN 9781591474777 Abstract Using a variety of different measurement methods, it has been shown that clients valued insight in dream sessions and that they gained insight into their dreams as a result of sessions. However, very little is known about the mechanisms through which insight is attained in dream sessions, other than the fact that client involvement and therapist adherence and competence are related to insight gains and that therapist interpretation may not be necessary for insight gains. Knowledge about how client insight develops in dream sessions might provide clues about how insight develops in therapy more generally, a useful pursuit given that insight is a major goal of many therapies. The purpose of the present study, then, was to investigate the development of insight within a single case of dream work. Because we currently know little about how insight develops in dream sessions and because insight might develop differently across clients, we studied one case of a client who developed insight during a dream session. We used a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to maximize our ability to highlight the development of insight in this case. In this chapter we first describe the process and outcomes of the session, documenting that insight did occur. We then explore factors suggested from psychotherapy process research; dream work research; and our clinical experiences that may have facilitated or inhibited insight gains. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)