Ravi has started psychotherapy. Consider the following statements about the non-specific factors in his treatment:
(A) Ravi's motivation for change is a patient variable.
(B) Ravi's emotional unburdening in the initial sessions, known as catharsis, is a patient variable.
(C) His therapist's good mental health is a therapist variable.
(D) These factors are called non-specific because they occur across different systems of psychotherapy.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → A, C and D only
(A) Ravi's motivation for change is a patient variable. — Correct. Motivation for change comes from the client, so it is a patient variable.
(B) Ravi's emotional unburdening in the initial sessions, known as catharsis, is a patient variable. — Incorrect. Catharsis, the emotional unburdening in the initial sessions, is a separate healing factor in the book's list. Patient variables are non-specific factors such as motivation for change and expectation of improvement.
(C) His therapist's good mental health is a therapist variable. — Correct. Factors in the therapist, such as positive nature, no unresolved emotional conflicts and good mental health, are therapist variables.
(D) These factors are called non-specific because they occur across different systems of psychotherapy. — Correct. They are called non-specific because they occur across different systems of psychotherapy, and across different clients and therapists.
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