Matchmaking in psychotherapy: patient-therapist dimensions and their impact on outcome.
Patient-therapist matching was investigated using recent theoretical and methodological developments to overcome some of the limitations that have hindered similar past efforts. Two hypotheses were tested: (a) Therapeutic outcome is affected by the interaction between patients' and therapists' self-concepts, and (b) increasing anticomplementarity between therapist self-concept and therapists' perceptions of patients' behavior is negatively associated with patient improvement. Data from the first 2 cohorts of the Vanderbilt II Psychotherapy Project were analyzed. They included the therapies of 16 experienced therapists, who saw a total of 48 patients (38 women and 10 men) in time-limited psychotherapy. Patients' ages ranged from 24 to 64 years (M age = 40). Outcome was measured from the perspective of the patient, therapist, and evaluating clinician. Each hypothesis was supported, but not across all 3 outcome perspectives.
Talley
P F
PF
Psychology Department, College of Arts and Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37240.
Strupp
H H
HH
Morey
L C
LC
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010556:Personality Tests; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011575:Psychoanalytic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D012649:Self Concept