Therapist Experience and “Style” as Factors in Co‐therapy

NOTE: SEVERAL PASSAGES HAVE BEEN TRANSPOSED IN THIS ARTICLE. IT HAS BEEN REPRINTED CORRECTLY IN VOL. 11, JUNE, 1972 AT PAGE 227 Self-descriptions of general in-therapy behavior, attitudes toward co-therapy, and ratings of co-therapy effectiveness were collected from 25 experienced (E) and 25 inexperienced (IE) therapists who treated a total of 48 married couples in co-therapy. Major findings were: (a) six different therapeutic “styles” emerged via factor analysis of the therapists' self-descriptions of in-therapy behavior, (b) E and IE therapists as a group had different personal therapeutic styles and preferences as to the style desired in a co-therapist, (c) subjectively rated effectiveness of co-therapy correlated with the degree of comfort felt by the therapist in the relationship and the acceptance by the co-therapist, and (d) there was evidence of a “point of diminishing returns” in satisfaction for therapists in general, which came with increasing experience in doing co-therapy.