title: Psychotherapy engagers versus non-engagers: differences in alliance, therapist verbal response modes, and client attachment.
abstract: For each of four therapists, we studied two clients who did not return after intake (non-engagers) and two clients who continued for at least eight sessions of psychodynamic psychotherapy (engagers), for a total of 16 cases yielding 3877 therapist verbal response units. Engagers and non-engagers did not differ in terms of working alliance measured after the intake session. In terms of therapist verbal response modes for non-engagers compared to engagers, therapists used more approval-reassurance in the beginning third of intake sessions, and more reflections of feeling but less information about the helping process in the last third of intake sessions. Non-engagers had higher pre-intake attachment anxiety than engagers. Implications for practice and research are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gelso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009769:Object Attachment; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011581:Psychological Tests; D064889:Psychotherapy, Psychodynamic / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014705:Verbal Behavior; D055815:Young Adult