Temporal interaction of process variables in psychotherapy

A sample of 91 courses of dyadic psychotherapy using different treatment mo dalities was analyzed in order to study session-by-session dynamics. The pr ocess data consisted of therapist and patient session reports and therapy o utcome was evaluated by pre-post questionnaires and direct measures of chan ge. After data reduction by principal component analysis, linear time serie s models of the resulting factors were computed to describe the prototypica l dynamical patterns of the sample and of the modality subsamples (cognitiv e-behavioral, client-centered, schema-theoretical psychotherapy). It was fo und that the factor of Patient's Sense of Self-Efficacy/Morale governed the observed dynamics of the sample, whereas the therapeutic bond factors did have less impact on the dynamics. The dynamical patterns of client-centered therapies differed from other modalities. The dynamics-outcome findings sh owed that direct measures of change were associated with a specific process pattern in which the patient's sense of self-efficacy was supported by oth er process variables.