An Analysis of Client-Perceived Curative Factors in a Therapy Group of Former Incest Victims

Abstract

This study examines factors regarded as most and least therapeutic by members of a therapy group of women who experienced childhood incest. Client and therapist perceptions are accessed through the administration of individual Q-sorts (Block, 1961), which utilize statements developed by Yalom (1975). Client Q-sorts are correlated with each other and with the sorts of the therapists and are compared with the sorts of other group studies. The differences obtained among these sets are analyzed and the implications discussed. The results suggest that the relative importance of therapeutic factors, and therefore treatment strategies, may differ radically dependent on the composition of the group and the nature of the presenting problems.