‘I never talked about, ever’: A comprehensive process analysis of a significant client disclosure event in therapy

Abstract

Aims: The present study was intended to examine how a particular client disclosure came about and what made it important to the client. Method: A client-identified significant therapy event involving disclosure of childhood abuse was analysed using Comprehensive Process Analysis (CPA), a qualitative interpretive method for examining the process, effects and context of significant events in therapy. Results: The analysis identified therapist invitation and client universalisation as the key elements of the disclosure event. The context analysis showed how the event linked to the client's symbolisation of her fear earlier in the session and in the previous session. The client gained insight into how the earlier abuse had affected her life, linking it to the victimisation that was her primary reason for seeking therapy, and to her relationship with her mother. The therapist facilitated the event by following up the client's hints, trusting the strength of the alliance, and staying close to the client's frame of reference. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the initial significance of an invited disclosure event may diminish for a client over the course of therapy.

Keywords:

• client disclosure
• comprehensive process analysis
• significant events

Acknowledgements

The first author thanks Susan Wiggins (University of Strathclyde) for assistance with SPSS.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jane Balmforth

Jane Balmforth is a person-centred counsellor, currently studying for a PhD at the University of Strathclyde focusing on significant client disclosure. This study was carried out as part of her doctoral research

Robert Elliott

Robert Elliott, PhD, is professor of counselling in the Counselling Unit at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland. He is co-author of Facilitating Emotional Change and Learning Emotion-Focused Therapy and recipient of the 2008 Carl Rogers Award of the Divisions of Humanistic Psychology of the American Psychological Association