Item – Theses Canada

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OCLC number
56683519
Link(s) to full text
LAC copy
LAC copy
Author
Stuart, Janice,1961-
Title
Client perceptions of emotional experience in counselling.
Degree
Ph. D. -- University of Alberta, 2002
Publisher
Ottawa : National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, [2004]
Description
2 microfiches.
Notes
Includes bibliographical references.
Abstract
With growing evidence for the utility of the client's emotional experience as an active change agent in the therapeutic change process, this study investigated clients' perceptions of their emotional experience in counselling. In-depth interviews were combined with a concept mapping analysis to gather data about clients' perceptions of their emotional experience in counselling. Two questions were addressed: (1) What were the client's emotional experience in counselling? and (2) What was helpful about these experience? Two data collection sessions were conducted with two separate groups of participants. In the initial data collection session 9 adult client participants, aged 18 or older (3 male, 6 female) with a mean of 21 sessions were interviewed using an open-interview format. The data-gathering interview was designed to gather information on participants' experience of emotion in the therapeutic process. Summaries of participant interviews are presented that provide qualitative information and a contextual framework against which to view the concept map. Common themes across interviews were examined in conjunction with the concept map results. In the second data collection session 22 adult participants, age 18 or older (7 male, 15 female) with experience exploring emotional material in therapy were asked to participate in a sorting and rating task utilizing statements extracted from the interviews. Results of the sorting and rating task were analyzed using the concept mapping method. This method combines multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis to generate a thematic representation of the underlying structure of the phenomenon of emotional experiencing. The analysis resulted in 8 thematic clusters: (1) Understanding My Emotions, (2) Volatility, (3) Avoidance, (4) Negative Influence of Emotions, (5) Dealing with Emotions, (6) Resolving Emotions, (7) Integration, and (8) Connecting to Self. Further analysis of the data identified three main components of participants' emotional experience consisting of Breakdown of Coping Strategies, Increased Emotional Awareness, and Reorganization. While researchers have investigated various components of this process, the process itself has not previously been identified.
ISBN
0612812723
9780612812727