In her first therapy sessions, Neha talks at length about worries she has carried for years and feels lighter afterwards. Which of the following statements about this are correct?
(A) Her emotional unburdening is known as catharsis.
(B) Such unburdening is expected only in the final sessions, after the problem is fully understood.
(C) This unburdening has healing properties.
(D) This unburdening is a patient variable, like motivation for change.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → A and C only
(A) Her emotional unburdening is known as catharsis. — Correct. When a client pours out emotional problems, this emotional unburdening is called catharsis.
(B) Such unburdening is expected only in the final sessions, after the problem is fully understood. — Incorrect. Catharsis happens at the outset of therapy, while the client is interviewed in the initial sessions to understand the problem.
(C) This unburdening has healing properties. — Correct. Catharsis has healing properties, which is why Neha feels lighter.
(D) This unburdening is a patient variable, like motivation for change. — Incorrect. Patient variables are non-specific factors in the client, such as motivation for change and expectation of improvement. Catharsis is listed as a separate healing factor.
NCERT (2026-27): “Factors Contributing to Healing in Psychotherapy … “4. There are several non-specific factors associated with psychotherapy. Some of these factors are attributed to the patient/client and some to the therapist. These factors are called non-specific because they occur across different systems of psychotherapy and across different clients/patients and different therapists. Non-specific factors attributable to the client/patient are motivation for change, expectation of improvement due to the treatment, etc. These are called patient variables. …” |