All roads lead to common factors rather than turning points in couple and family therapy

It has been stated that there is a requirement in the field of couple and family therapy for research aimed at informing process (Pinsof & Wynne, 2000). Qualitative methods have been suggested as a means of closing this gap through obtaining information regarding the subjective experience of those participating in therapy (American Psychological Association, 2006). Through the use of qualitative, face-to-face interviewing, this study explored the therapeutic experience from the perspective of one experienced Family therapist and five of his clients. This study partially replicated research conducted by Wark (1994) and extended it to overcome methodological limitations. It examined the shared and unique perspectives of the participants regarding turning points that were significant in the process of therapeutic change. Thematic analysis revealed limitations of the turning point approach in describing the therapeutic process. Moreover, findings supported the common factors view as proposed by Sprenkle and Blow (2004a). Resultant themes revealed the significant influence of the following factors in the process of change: client factors, therapist factors, relationship factors and treatment factors. Implications for training, research and practice, as well as suggestions for future research are discussed