Client experiences of counselling and treatment interventions: A qualitative study of family views of family therapy

Discusses the shift in research perspective from quantitative to qualitative methods of investigation in counseling and therapy research as a way to understand and appreciate the clients' experiences of being on the receiving end of these activities. The case is made that personal experience and social life are inherently meaningful. The presence of meaning in human affairs requires all participants to develop interpretive skills if they are to understand what is happening. Researching social life is greatly helped by methods which acknowledge the hermeneutical quality of interpersonal experience. The use of qualitative research methods to investigate all aspects of counselling is therefore highly appropriate. To illustrate the use of qualitative research designs and methods of analysis, a study of family members' views of family therapy is briefly described. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)