title: Narrative change in emotion-focused therapy: how is change constructed through the lens of the innovative moments coding system?
abstract: The aim of this study was to advance understanding of how clients construct their own process of change in effective therapy sessions. Toward this end, the authors applied a narrative methodological tool for the study of the change process in emotion-focused therapy (EFT), replicating a previous study done with narrative therapy (NT). The Innovative Moments Coding System (IMCS) was applied to three good-outcome and three poor-outcome cases in EFT for depression to track the innovative moments (IMs), or exceptions to the problematic self-narrative, in the therapeutic conversation. IMCS allows tracking of five types of IMs events: action, reflection, protest, reconceptualization, and performing change. The analysis revealed significant differences between the good-outcome and poor-outcome groups regarding reconceptualization and performing change IMs, replicating the findings from a previous study. Reconceptualization and performing change IMs seem to be vital in the change process.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
authors.forename: Inês
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.forename: António P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Lynne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Angus
authors.forename: Leslie S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Greenberg
authors.forename: Inês
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.forename: Miguel M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D059019:Clinical Coding / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D033262:Narration; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D009629:Person-Centered Psychotherapy / Q000592:standards; D013811:Psychotherapeutic Processes; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D016896:Treatment Outcome