title: Setbacks in the process of assimilation of problematic experiences in two cases of emotion-focused therapy for depression.
abstract: Research on the assimilation model has suggested that psychological change takes place in a sequence of stages punctuated by setbacks, that is, by transient reversals in the developmental course. This study analyzed such setbacks in one good outcome case and one poor outcome case of Emotion-focused therapy (EFT) for depression.
  
  
  
  Intensive analyses of five transcribed sessions from each case identified 26 setbacks in the good outcome case and 27 in the poor outcome case. The reason for each setback was classified into one of four categories: balance strategy, exceeding the therapeutic zone of proximal development either induced by the therapist (ZPD-T) or induced by the client (ZPD-C), or spontaneous switches.
  
  
  
  In the good outcome case the most frequent reasons for setbacks were balance strategy and spontaneous switches, whereas in the poor outcome case the most frequent reason for setbacks was ZPD-T.
  
  
  
  As in previously studied therapies, setbacks in EFT, usually represent productive work on relatively less advanced strands of the client's major problems. Results point to the importance of the therapist attending to the limits of the client's therapeutic ZPD.
authors.affiliation: a CIPsi - Psychology Research Center, Psychotherapy and Psychopathology Research Unit, School of Psychology , University of Minho , Braga , Portugal.|b Department of Behavior and Social Sciences , ISMAI - University Institute of Maia , Maia , Portugal.
authors.forename: Inês
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.affiliation: c Department of Education , University of Aveiro , Averio , Portugal.|d Ibili - Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences, University of Coimbra , Coimbra , Portugal.
authors.forename: Catarina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.affiliation: e Department of Psychology , Miami University , Oxford , OH , USA.|f Department of Psychology , Appalachian State University , Boone , NC , USA.
authors.forename: William B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Stiles
authors.affiliation: g Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatments , University of Valencia , Valencia , Spain.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Caro Gabalda
authors.affiliation: b Department of Behavior and Social Sciences , ISMAI - University Institute of Maia , Maia , Portugal.|h Center of Psychology , University of Porto , Porto , Portugal.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: i CINNEIC, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences , University of Coimbra , Coimbra , Portugal.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Basto
authors.affiliation: b Department of Behavior and Social Sciences , ISMAI - University Institute of Maia , Maia , Portugal.|h Center of Psychology , University of Porto , Porto , Portugal.
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salgado
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D000071441:Emotion-Focused Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care
keywords: APES; assimilation model; emotion-focused therapy; process research; setbacks in psychotherapy