Author ORCID Identifier
Date Available
4-29-2023
Year of Publication
2023
Degree Name
Master of Science in Family Sciences (MSFS)
Document Type
Master's Thesis
College
Agriculture, Food and Environment
Department/School/Program
Family Sciences
First Advisor
Dr. Nathan D. Wood
Abstract
As systems theory has become the foundation of interpreting family interactions in therapy, it has become apparent that taking a systemic approach correlates with improved client growth and satisfaction outcomes. Clients’ systemic orientation to their problems may be influential in determining these outcomes in therapy. Thus, this study focused on how client’s systemic agreement can impact the outcomes of therapy and problem progress. We had 968 partnered individuals with differing economic backgrounds, education levels, and religious backgrounds participated in the study, as well as couples from age 18-72 with the mean age of 31.3. The couples’ SES ranged from below the poverty line to middle and upper class. MANCOVA was conducted to examine how clients’ systemic attributions to their presenting problem in therapy correlated with client couple satisfaction and presenting problem progress after accounting for the therapeutic alliance and initial relationship distress. Results show a statistical trend showing that clients’ perception of therapy progress over the course of therapy may be different depending on the type of systemic attribution they bring into therapy. Implications for the lack of statistically significant findings are discussed.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2023.112
Recommended Citation
Nickell, Claire Elizabeth, "Your Problem or our Problem: How Clients' Evaluation of the Problem Affects Therapeutic Progress in Therapy" (2023). Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences. 105.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/hes_etds/105
