Research Participants Wanted: Clients

[psychologyperson]

We are exploring clients’ experiences of therapist absences. Therapist absences are not an uncommon phenomenon in psychotherapy. Minimal literature, however, actually examines the client’s experience of this phenomenon. This study seeks to begin to fill this gap in the literature. We will ask about you your general thoughts regarding therapist absences, as well as one such experience: a specific time when, as a client, your therapist was absent during therapy. The project's goal is thus to deeply examine the experience of therapist absences in psychotherapy, from the client’s perspective.

By participating in this study, you will have the opportunity to share with us your experiences of your therapist(s)’s absences. You’ll also have a chance, when we send you the results (a draft of the manuscript), to compare your experiences with those of others who participated in the study. This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board at Marquette University on 12/21/2016.

The study involves completing a brief demographic form and an audio-recorded telephone interview lasting approximately 60 minutes. To ensure confidentiality, all data will be assigned a code number, and all identifiers will be deleted. Upon completion of the study, audio recordings will be deleted.

If you choose to participate, you will be asked to complete and return Consent and Demographic forms as soon as possible. We will also send the interview protocol so that you may make fully informed consent to participate. One of the researchers will then contact you to schedule the interview. Your decision regarding participation will have no impact on your relationship with the investigators or Marquette University.

Participants need to meet the following criteria:

• Adult (i.e., at least 18 years of age)
  
• Have been in outpatient individual psychotherapy within the last 2 years
  
• When the absence occurred, you had seen the therapist for at least 4 weeks and at least 4 sessions
  
• After the absence, you saw the therapist for at least 1 session
  
• The absence lasted 2 - 6 weeks, meant that you missed at least 2 sessions that ordinarily would have been scheduled, and you knew about the absence at least 2 weeks in advance
  
• Additionally, you and your therapist did not set up appointments with a substitute therapist during the absence
  
  • However, if something did happen during the absence that led you to seek professional help during the absence, we also welcome your participation
• If you have had more than 1 absence with your therapist, please select one absence that you’d like to talk about in depth

We would greatly value your contribution to this relatively unexplored area. If you do not meet the criteria listed above, please pass along this announcement to others who may be eligible and interested in participating. Thank you very much!


Graham Knowlton, M.S. [researcher to contact for participation]
Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology
College of Education
Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI 53201
[email protected]

Other researchers on study:

Sarah Knox, Ph.D., Marquette University
Jeremy Connelly, M.S., Marquette University
Meghan Butler, M.A., Marquette University

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