Clients' experience of change: an exploration of the influence of reformulation tools in Cognitive Analytic Therapy.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of these reformulation tools on insight and symptom change. A small-N repeated measures design was employed with quantitative and qualitative measures collected from six therapist/client dyads. Participating therapists kept a record of their delivery of CAT reformulation tools. Participating clients completed the insight sub-scale of the Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS-IN) every fourth session and the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-10 (CORE-10) every session. Qualitative data from client change interviews regarding their experiences of CAT and attributions of change was explored using template analysis. Participants demonstrated improvements (symptom reduction and insight increases) over the course of the intervention. Administration of reformulation tools did not consistently result in significant changes on insight and symptom measures. However, the tools were identified by participants as leading to insight and emotional change within the context of a good therapeutic relationship. These findings suggest that a genuine therapeutic relationship is an important change mechanism operating through, and strengthened by, CAT-specific tools. PMID: 30303262 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Clin Psychol Psychother Source Type: research