A parallel-response questionnaire, the Therapy Session Report, was administered to the 57 patients and 19 therapists of the Kent State University Psychological Clinic immediately following each intake session. The purpose of the study was to provide normative data on the content of dialogue in psychotherapy and to extend the generalizability of previous results. Data analysis focused on the frequency, structure, and patient-therapist agreement of the topics discussed. Items most frequently endorsed by both patients and therapists were: “Relations with the opposite sex,” “Mother,” and “Hopes or fears about the future.” Factor analysis resulted in 7 factors for therapists and 7 for patients, 5 of which were highly similar. Results were interpreted as underscoring the necessity of specificity in process research. A proposal for conducting process research is presented.
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